Awful how our dear old country
Thwarts our innermost desires?
Cuts our coffee and our sugar,
Limits gasoline and tires;
Takes away our cheese and butter,
Beef and pork, and then our shoes:
We weren’t too cooperative,
Howled to Heaven, sang the blues.
How we’ve missed our sock supporters
And our pants suspenders, too–
We can let the socks go dangle,
But for pants, that wouldn’t do!
Said “Goodbye”, because it’s busy,
To one other thing town:
Since it’s gone to war, I’m gonna
Hang a star upon my ‘PHONE!
Looks as though I’ll shoot no gossip
Back and forth across the nation.
Well, I guess they’ve got me silenced:
Mum’s the word for the duration.
And I think it very fitting:
(If you’ll pardon me my laughter)
This is one war-effort wherein
To cooperate we HAUGHTER!
by Ray Romine Tuesday, July 20, 1943
