My lawnmower stopped working

“Mending meadow” painted with watercolor and gouache by Sanford Ross Bender on September 3, 2006
“My lawnmower stopped working”composed and performed with vocals and guitar by Sanford Ross Bender on May 31 and June 1, 2026.

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My lawnmower stopped working,

So, I let the grass grow high.

My neighbors are complaining,

That it would soon touch the sky.

I always wanted a forest,

And the birds that it would bring.

The minstrels will follow,

The troubadours will sing.

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The lawnmower was the pushing kind.

Like the mower that my father had.

He liked the clinking of the blades,

Without the fumes and noise that was so bad.

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Never had I thought of ghosts before.

But now I am in belief.

My father appeared to mow the lawn,

And now, I can sigh in relief.

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Lyrics and music by Sanford Ross Bender

Nicknames

“Ocean” photographed at Island Beach State Park on the New Jersey barrier island coast by Sandy Ross Bender on May 12, 2026.
“Nicknames” composed and performed with guitar and vocals by Sandy Ross Bender on May 15, 2026.

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I’ve always had a nickname,

Sandy is that name,

It hasn’t brought me fortune,

It hasn’t brought me fame.

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A hurricane was named after me,

October two hundred twelve,

A week arrived, before Halloween,

What followed I will not delve.

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A name that puts me at ease,

Despite the havoc caused,

Manhattan was left in shambles,

The city had to pause.

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Here I am before you,

Guitar across my knee,

Reminding you of a storm,

And the power of the sea.

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Lyrics by Sandy Ross Bender