Category: Observations

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Annual Complaint To All Retailers

I’m tired of calendars depicting
Barnyards, bridges, babies,
Horses, trains. and mountain lakes,
Dogs with fleas or rabies;
Barefoot boys with fishing poles,
Cottages with flowers,
Ruins, ships, kid-teacher scenes,
Cats resembling ours.
But since my kind– the cheesecake ones–
Always boomerang,
I’ll find one of the arid type
My wife will let me hang.

by Ray Romine Wednesday, September 13, 1950

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And Here’s A Careless Little Ditty For All Those Who Prefer The City

“Rise to greater heights”, they say:
“Face the rising sun each day
Full of courage. Everyone
Look–enjoy the rising sun!”

So I tried, but who can see
Through a garment factoree?
I moved; the view was quite unmarred
But for Walton’s Lumberyard,

A billboard’s jarring, lying item,
And on and on, ad infinitum;
But when the sky-line finally broke,
I saw… the locomotives’ smoke.

I’ll never see the sun unless
I take an ocean trip, I guess.
Then I suppose, ‘tween me and you,
That CLOUDS will quite obstruct the view.

by Ray Romine Thursday, August 10, 1944

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All ‘ Bored

There’s an art to suitcase packing:
Lingerie goes inside shoes;
Also stockings and cosmetics,
Snugly wrapped against abuse.

Then the shoes fit round the bottom,
Soles to outside. Bathing suits
And non-wrinkle things like sweaters
Fill the circle made by boots.

Crannies left take belts and hankies,
Gloves, too. Lastly, suits and dresses
Folded gently, packed with tissue,
Saves you destination messes.

There you are! There’s nothing to it .
That, I may add, is the worst one.
Number two bag–just pitch in it.
What would not go in the first one.

by Ray Romine Friday, November 10, 1950