Category: Poems

A fellow in the room next door
Just dropped his dishes on the floor;
Two nurses, pausing in the hall,
Discuss profoundly last night’s brawl;
Some unselfish he or she
Shares a radio with me;
What was an earthquake is instead
Their wheeling by another bed.
Thru open windows, dogs do bark,
And neighbor’s kiddies loudly lark;
And from the kitchen, pots and pans
Tangle with the garbage cans.
This is a decent imitation,
Admit it, of Grand Central Station.
And everywhere throughout the riot
Hang signs that vainly plead for QUIET!!

by Ray Romine Wednesday, April 14, 1954

MD’s and nurses own me now;
Here is the rest I’m needing.
I’ll catch up on some things, I vow,
And that includes my reading.

I’ll lie abed, I will, till noon;
I’ll have my meals served therein;
I’ll make being here the sort of boon
That friends will want to share in.

But being truthful, I’ll confess
Of those results I’m reaping
There seems to be a whopping mess
Of nothing much but sleeping!

by Ray Romine Friday, April 16, 1954