Selections from Trella Romine's library at Terradise Nature Center
His skin is thick; his temper’s short;
He stops to paw and sniff and snort;
He has the manners of a hog;
He’s handsome, nearly, as a log.
Important, touchy, brash and large,
He’s slow to think and quick to charge.
Without those horns atop his pan,
His description would fit man!
by Ray Romine Wednesday, November 14, 1951
He sits up straight at what he hears–
No wonder, what with such big earsl
He likes his food all fresh and new
(That growing in our yard will do).
He runs so fast, no dog can match him,
Especially Spot, who tries to catch him.
His cotton tail waves like a flag
That says “This race is in the bag.”
Spot runs until his head is spinning,
But, I hope the rabbit keeps on winning!
by Ray Romine Sunday, April 19, 1953
The postman brings us letters–
And sometimes only ads.
Some belong to mother,
While some of them are dad’s.
But when the postman whistles
And smiles and says “Whoopee!”
He doesn’t have to mention
That letter is for me!
by Ray Romine Thursday, February 14, 1952
The plumber came, and the plumber pounded;
His wrenches rang and his hammer sounded;
He rattled the kitchen and shook the hall.;
And he sang and he whistled over it all.
Whenever I managed to get near him,
He’d talk to me, but I couldn’t hear him.
Plumbers, I guess, are grown-up boys
Who never have to stop making noise.
by Ray Romine Thursday, January 31, 1952
When her boy crawls upon my clothes,
Or kicks me in the shins,
Or beats his drum, or yells “How Come?”
At all my double chins,
His mother never fails to ask,
“He isn’t any bother?”
For Junior’s sake (still–it’s my break!)
I’m glad I’m not his father.
by Ray Romine Tuesday, October 15, 1946
That chap we cussed but yesterday–
We see his point of view today;
What he lacked then, today we’ve not–
What he had then, we wish we’d got.
For he at that time had no car,
(Exactly where, today, WE are!)
But he HAD acquired agility,
A life-saving ability,
And by the time that I catch on,
The cars, I s’pose, will ALL be gone!
by Ray Romine Tuesday, July 13, 1943
Unfortunately, sometimes for you,
Freedom of Speech includes him too.
by Ray Romine Saturday, September 23, 1950
The pulsing stars of Bethlehem retired
Each in its niche, at glimpse of Star of Him,
That it might shine nor grow forever dim;
And man’s brief span has since been Chrift-inspired.
So touch my star, O Father–make it shine
To dim the glitter and the glare of sin
That fills my sky to tempt the man within,
So one more soul shall rise as Christ’s–and Thine!
by Ray Romine Saturday, November 27, 1943
Away from the racket; a zowie dust- jacket–
Into my slippers and I shall attack it .
That’s no reason, though–or is it?–
You should pick this night to visit.
by Ray Romine Saturday, February 10, 1945
Between the bars, my almost-brother
And I try to out-stare each other.
His round brown eyes, so bright, unblinking,
Make me wonder what he’s thinking.
The answer, it Is so plain to see, is,
He wonders if I’m smart as he isl
by Ray Romine Saturday, February 6, 1954