Misty Mourning
1 was. weary, wintry morning
‘Wien the mist was curing "out the trees,
‘Asa blanket twas forming
‘Through which man's eye hardly ses
Within its arms the gloomy mist
Embraced a young, heartbroken srl
‘Upon whos lipsit gently Kised
‘And "bout he ashes it did ca,
‘Alone she was enveloped with mist
‘The gloomy mist that kased her lps
‘That out her ashes i id cul
‘Alone inthe soon, sloomy mist
“The thickening fog banished her sight
Ie concealed the rocky road
Asshe grapple forward into the night,
For it ingered stil nd no longs lowed,
‘A welcome figure came in view
‘And through the fox slipped a kindly hand,
‘Which took the wes with no ado,
‘And together they Tet the misty land
Mildred Sanders—124h Grade
»
WHY?
Daniel was a bitter boy of twenty, am American soldier in Viet,
Nam, He sat cros-leeged inthe doorway of vagped fent glaring at
Mother Nature as she violently shook her children he dark: pouting
loud, until they ‘ned excessively. A nervous, hand jee
chedsied ciarete butt out of niche of the interior wall of hit
himet and replaced it with a precious letter from Sue Ella back
home. ain dripping fom an overhead leak was forming poem
his je-lack hatr. The wicked sind was whipping occasional drops Of
waler on t his pale checks.
But it would have been hard for one to distinguish ran drops
from tear drops. Over and over in Danes thoughls appeared the
word “why in many harsh colors and distorted shapes He wanted
{ogo home and marty Sue Ellen, He wanted to aise « heal family
‘of ten toys. But he was stuck inthe service fighting. There was that
word before his eyes in tremendous black eters, "WILY?" he want
fo 0 home and spend an aftemoon fishing. with Pa om Me.
Brown’ lake and. Why? Why couldnt he go home? Why couldnt he
‘ee home to his own cele of warmth and love? Why?
DDaniol moved his steady gaze to the ground just inside the tnt
oor A foree af ants were marching single ie toa decayed plese of
meat in the far corner of the teal, “Poor little devi” thought
Dani, “they're on amision, too.” Daniel shoved his Had imo is
Path of an ant, The ant was whirled off coure and 30: were the
remainder of the fling oops. The whole purpose ofthe ant caravan
had been Tastee
Immediately, Daniel felt guilty. He rpretted the foul mood
which ad eaused such an action. He tured his face up tote sky
fom which only dizlng rain was now full. A the sun began 0
Beep through the clouds, new and fresh ight of inpiation
Hicker in his now bright brown eyes. “Oh God! Please protect me
‘ad all other American solders from bing thrown offcourse by the
owe of Self Pity.” he whispered
Glenda Ard-11ah Grade