Fingertips etched and wrapped,
white knuckled, yet steadfast -
the journey never finished because
...there is no destination
except the next brick or perhaps
EGO?
What then, when there are no more
"electives"?
"Alexander wept, because there were
no more worlds to conquer".
So thus, the tendrils, naked and burdened,
circle back,
their vines and blossoms celebrated,
while the sacrificed - those who cling and die
go unnoticed...
Three long years ago
I first entered these marbled walls
Now with glory and honor pride
Intervened in me we go down in history
On through the day we celebrate
All those electives
We forget our enemy's our foes rejoicing now in love
And ignore bitter's hate
As we walk across the stage
As I journey down the stairs
Tousle floating in my hair
Gladly eyes start to stare
As I walk down the corridors
I smile on through the day we celebrate
We forget our enemy's are foes rejoice in love
And ignore the bitter hate they may resonate
Little wonder how when I was young
I spied how I wanted to make that journey
Like my brothers and sister did
A long, long time ago
Oh, Lord yeah
I'm so happy Diploma in my hand
My people racing to the grandstands
Cheering, clapping ever so happy
While I stand on the podium with my hand out
Waiting for the grand slam while my people holler, shout
Handing me my diploma a sheet of paper
Rolled up paper they call it the tablet of learnt life
Dedicated to Omaha North High School Grads class of 1973,1974
07/15/74
Written by James Edward Lee
Our ties are conditioned
to change, I concede,
But loss of love infuses vice
She staggers from
sensuous embrace
to unsavoury tryst
A single day for her
endures derision
and fuses with spite
Permissive intrusions on
her formative grace
ensure a slow descent
Idyllic consumption of faith
melds with disgrace
And discarded life
is piled upon nameless symptoms
My beloved maiden buries creed
She tippy-toes between star-rays
in recurrent mists
Thrust by uneven electives
to the throes of inquest
Finding those with a sensitive nature...
unbearably kind
They judge and spew soundless expletives
Clamour for unreachable life infinites,
She senses
that hope beyond a steep pier
is indelibly true...
but putatively quaint
She dives for cover
when senses engage
Derides her stilts
when
time is lost
And sings my praise
when night invites
Her name was Lisa and she was a blonde-haired girl, but her friends called her Starry because she was so into astronomy! She built her own telescope at 12, a humble 6 inch reflector. But she did spend hours grinding the mirror to perfection!
She scoffed at classmates who couldn't even remember the names of all nine planets. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were her distant friends.
hours in the cold
watching red Mars until dew
fogged the telescope
She checked book after book on astronomy out from the high school library. Unfortunately, by the ninth grade she grew less interested in the stars and more interested in boys.
Eventually, she just took college astronomy electives and finished college with honors, but with dreams forgotten. Yet, I always remember her and her stars...
lifetime
as an English teacher
doodling stars on essays
Published - Cattails - Winter 2016
Her name was Lisa and she was a blonde-haired girl, but her friends called her Starry because she was so into astronomy! She built her own telescope
at 12, an humble 6 inch reflector. But she did spend hours grinding the mirror to perfection!
She scoffed at classmates who couldn't even remember the names of all nine planets. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were her distant friends.
hours in the cold
watching red mars until dew
fogged the telescope
Her fourth grade teacher, knowing of her interest in astronomy took her to the high school library which had more astronomy books. She checked book after book out. Unfortunately, by the ninth grade she grew less interested in the stars and more interested in boys.
Eventually, she took college astronomy electives and finished college with honors, but with dreams forgotten. Yet, I always remember her and her stars. . .
lifetime
as an English teacher
doodling stars on essays
Published Cattails - Winter 2016
When I was a sophomore, I was in love with "Chemistry"
Just as soon as I fell, for the girl sitting right next to me
When I turned, junior, I hated "History"
Because as it turned out, she and I had two different "Philosophy"
But if you must know, I love "Math" the best
It was how I subtracted her out from all the rest
Although "English" was by far the most useful of all
Well, I mean, it’s kind of true next to "P.E" and basketball
"Physics" became a sort of breaking of the ice
Once I supplied her with an equation that’d made her, to look at me twice
As a senior, I sort of had fun with "Political-Science"
Sure enough, we got back together with only a little of her defiance
As for electives, I chose "Creative-writing" and, of course, "Art"
I drew her a picture and wrote her name in my heart
"Graduation" came and we were both happy and sad
As we reflected on every single moment we ever had
Then we held each other’s hand with words-said in limited supply
Because we knew, inevitably; we can only say goodbye, in a sigh!
By: Wilbert E. Dela Cruz
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