Hallmarks 1998 S

24 Pages·1998·17.8 MB·English

by  Harpeth Hall School (1951-)

I<gA! 0
1993
nNoy112ao
FireworksontheFourthofJuly
TheFourthofJulycame,
aduallyandsilently;
didn'tnotice
untilitwasalreadywrappedaroundme
likeaChinesefingertrap,
secureinitsposition.
TheFourthofJulycame,
itbroughtparties,fireworks,
andhim.
Welay ontheground,
thewell-keptgrass
softly prickling ourbacksthroughourshirts,
reminding meofthewayitfeels
toslowlydropatinychainintothepalmofmyhand,
otbrushmywrist
acrosstheendofthesilkytasselshangingfromalampshade.
Welay onthe ground,
where theonly thing betweenus
andthoseglistening,promising stars
isdistance-asad,unconquerabledistance-
andwaitedforthefireworks.
Asinglefireworkexploded
intomyfieldofstarsandsilence,
likethefirstdropofrain
intoastillandsteadypond,
andforaninstant
littheskywithitsfire
andbanishedtheshadows
fromeverycurveandcornerofmyface.
Asinglefireworkexploded Margo Martin(11)
inthenightwithillumination
sobeautifulandstartling,
itpulledtheairfrommylungs,
andthecoldfrommybody;
andthenrecededintodarknessagain.
Iturnedmyheadtolookathim,
seeingthefireworksjustasclearly
inhisskinandhissmile
asifIhadwatchedthemwithmyowneyes.
Iturnedmyhatolookathim,
andthenturned backtothe gasping sky,
butnoneoftheotherHypany
withtheircolorandcharm,
weresobright
andsotender
asthatveryfirstone. MariaGumina(11)
3rdperiodEnglish
Thescientificreasoningbehindcoloristhattheoneshadethatis
leftoutoftheelectromagneticspectrumistheonewename. The
onethatisn'tpresentis theonewesee,andisn'tthathowsomany
ater
Lastnightwaspinktome. Itwasamixtureofsweatandscalp
clashingwithmydeodorant. ItwasadarkroombutIcouldsee
everyone'sfaceandnoonewasafraid-tolookatme-tohug me-to
comecloseor gofar. AndIatetofucheesecakeanddrank acu
of50centcoffeeandwatchedlittlegitlsdancing withtheirmoth-
ersuntilitallbecameabeatandvibrationand theschoolhouse
wasaliveandIwasinthemiddle. =~ vie
Itseemsironichowparentstelltheirchildrenwhentheyinsiston
theirownway-"youarenotthecenterofthewotld." Thiswasthe
firstlesson1 ha ainedintomeandnowIams tothink
howwrongmyfatherandhisfatherandhisfatherbeforehavehad
it. Everyonei$thecenteroftheirownworld. Whatisrelativeto
youis youknowandall youneedtoknow. MaybeIwilltellmy
child-"youarethecenteroFyourworld."Andmaybeinsteadof
m themselfishanduncaringandmiserly,whichseemstobe
theun, Sifearandexpectationthatwehaveforthemost
innocentof youth,itwillmakethemstrongandconfidentand
vethemfirmgroundtostandonwhentheyareindoubt.
aybeitwillgivethemanislanduponwhichtorecollectandteach
themhowtoswim.
Today1safunnyshadeofung ItisSundaymorningand
ponareswinging openwhitechurchdoorsandwomen,
beneaththosesmiles,arethinkingaboutstripping offtheirconfin-
ingshoesandslipsassoonasthey gethome,beforetheyprepare
friedchickenand potatosalad. Childrenarethinkingabout the
napstheydon'twanttotakeastheireyesarealreadyclosing. Men
arethinkingoftheworktheyhavetodo-intheyardandinthe
officeand1nthebedroom. :
AndIamhere,walkingdownthiscrumbledsidewalk, tryingto
gettoahigherstateofmind,tryingnottofeelsocasual in’my
tornupjeansandflannelshirt,ortoocoldinmyopensandals
withmybareneck.
JulianneShelton(12)
SweetRomance
Sweetromance
Doyawannadance?
Yeah
Takeachance
Baby
I'mtheoneforyou
Youseethatuncutspringhilloverthereboy?
That'sourchanceatsweetromance
Takemynubblyquiltwithyearsofwhollymemoriesandwecan
makesomethatareJostours
Doyawannadancer
Yeah,we'llstarttwitlingwhenthedarknesscomesaroundatexact-
lytheright
Moment
Let'stakethatchance
Thisain'tnochancewithyoubaby
Iknowyou'retheoneforme MeganCasey(10)
Tulips
tulips,trees,tranquil
breeze,tinytipsytrampled
knees,telltalesofme.
HaleyRumore(12)
od K.C. Bull(12)
ii
Music and Lights
Music and lights and teenage voices clutter open-topped
wranglers,
Lips touch, hands feel and freedom reigns over hearts.
What are restrictions, speedlimits, or curfews
Without the passion of youth to break them?
Minds lose theirwayin twiningivyroads,
And eyes are blind to sign labelingthe "best path".
Porch ping squeak to the rhythms of Otis Redding,
While sloshingwarm gin form old jellyglasses.
The cherry sun sinks into the tranquilitybehind the dog-
woods
And the lastmatch has lighted the last cigarette.
I close my eyes and saygoodbye to spring;
Jessica Betts(12)
Candle Rising
As 1 slip mywarm fingers onto your cool surface I feel
the nubs and the rough spots life has handed you. I glide
softly down as you turn and begin, I could see clearly only
for a second before you left me, it seems you love to come
and go like the wind. My disappointment stirred as I
shook myfistviolentlyin the air, only to produce images
of old sparks and lost flames. Suddenlyyour absence filled
me with a deep chill, then inyour arrogantwayyou reap-
peared and filled me withwarmth. I reached my hands
and covered youlike a motherwould her child; desperately
clinging so not to be lost. Your beauty magnified as you
gently swayed back and forth finallyreaching the pool of
solidgroundwhere you died in myhands. You did notgo
without burninga memoryinto my skin or leaving a clear
path for me to see. The new light I see now thatyou are
gonewillwithstand the tears I shed in the loss of you and
the roughwinds life will blowin my direction. Now able
to walk through the midnight skies fearless of evil that
lurks in darkness,we sit together. I hold youin myhands
and I watch you as the great moments become grand and
later, lessen as the sun begins to rise. Time goes on and I
need youless and less. I begin to seewith my own eyes
and confidentlybreath deeperwithout the fear of hurting
you. The moon sets and mylips gentlypress together and
with thewind I take your breath away.
Lauren Gaffney(11)
Polaroids
lookatthepictureintheoldbluephotoalbum
whenmomanddadwerestillmarried
andIwasjustaseedinmother'sstomach
Mydad'sshirtisunbuttonedandhishairisthick
fymomholdsthebridletoherhorseMisty
whoshegaveupshortlyafterIwasborn
ThatisthefirstmemoryIhaveofmymother—
gallopingacrossthebackyardwhileIsearchedforpebblesthat
were
roundandsmoothonourpatio
IgavethebestonestodadwhenheleftonMondays
andhekeptthoserocks
andmomkeptthenotesthatsaid"Iloveyouhoney"
It'sdayslikethese
whenIwakeupinanemptycar
with peanutshellsonmy lap
thatlisamenylonelinesscomesoverme
andwishmymom hadnotleftmesleeping-
Idon'tliketowakeupalone
Idon'tthinkmomdideither
butshe'smartiedtoGodnow
andshesaysotherpeopledon'tunderstand
andshe'sright
becauseGoddoesn'teatbreakfastwithusinthemorning
ordecoratethetreewithusatChristmas
ortuckmeinatnight
orkissheronthelips
JulianeShelton(12)
Wildflowers
Whenwewere yo
Webentovernd
Andfellintosummer'sheavyait-
Whennoonewasaround
Weescapedtoourspecialplace
Tositamong thedaisies
Andwatch thesunmeetthelavendersky.
ThedryAugustrainhitourpinkfaces
Asraindropssliddownourcheekslikelittlesaltlesstears
Andthehazeofcolorsfadedandchanged.
Darknesssetinandyouwereafraid;
Yourtender,barefeetcaressedthedewygrass
Butyourstepsdidn'tquitereachtheground
Asyoutriedtorunaway:
Did youthinkIwouldlie?
Maybe it'sjustnotthesame.
Ineverdid reallyfindyou,

bote i
ou dropped along theway.
43 = 3 CatherineCaroll(9)
IWantToBeOverwhelmedByStars
Iwanttobeoverwhelmedbystars
"Tomemotizethemoon
MakefriendswithOtion
Ashestandsfierceaboveme
Iwanttolieunderstars
Forhours, nightafternight
WhileRayCharleswails
Likehecanseethestatstoo
Eventhoughitsbeensolong K.CBull(12)
AttainingMaturity
Three and five
Wewere all smiles
In those days
Our hairwas bobbed
Wewore matchingdenim jumpers
Ourpinkpudgy fingers knew only
Mud pies and barbie dolls
Visions of tree houses and backyard tag
Were our dimensions
Friends were non-existent-
We had each other
And boys had cooties.
Our conversations
Consisted of playground rules
Nine and Eleven
Wegrewup alittle
Over the years
Lost ourinnocence
We no longerwore matchingjumpers.
I wore myhairlongand blonde-
Yours was short and brunette.
We fought over the front seat
On theway to school
And boys finally
Caught our attention.
Our stubborn arguments lasted
Until mom bought us icees
We still shared a room
Andwhispered each other to sleep