Appleby College - Argus Yearbook (Oakville, Ontario Canada)

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FOOTPRINTS A few years ago I was in the Everglades hunting alligators. It was hot so I decided to make camp on the shore. I pitched a tent and made a fire. I was just about to put on some food when I saw some tiny footprints in the sand. These prints were very strange. There were seven toes on each foot. I was intrigued, so I followed their trail. It led away from the beach and into the jimgle. Deeper and deeper into the underbrush I tracked when all of a sudden two creatures jumped out and grabbed me. They were odd-looking things, about three feet high, green, with turned up noses, no hair and wrinkled foreheads. They carried spears and wore cougar skins as clothes. These little people dragged me down a path towards more little men. Then I saw a beautiful sight; a huge kingdom in the trees, miles long. There was a thundering waterfall not far away. I was put into an elevator made of bamboo and powered by the falls. This elevator lifted me up above the falls. At the top I was led across a bridge made of vines. When I reached the other side, I was led into a room covered in skins. At the far end of the room sat a small creature with a crown of golden leaves on his head. He held a staff with a tiny skull on it. Surprisingly enough he spoke to me and said, Sit down , in Seminole, the language of the Florida In- dians. I imderstood Seminole because it is widely spoken in the Everglades, and I did as he said. He called himself. King of the Wana Kwanas. You are an intruder , he said. We do not like intruders here. You shall starve in a cell, like all other white in- truders. At this point I was grabbed and dragged into a small, dark cell and locked up. Himian bones lay all around me. I had to escape! I tried kicking down the walls, but they were soUd. Then I had an idea ! I climbed up in the rafters and called for the guard. He came running and looked through the barred opening. Luckily he did not see me. Frantically he unlocked the door and rushed in. I swrung down and kicked him, knocking him out. Then I ran out of the cell, down a ladder, through the undergrowth, along the path, followed all the way by the tin y screaming creatures. I could run much faster than the little people so I was able to escape to freedom once more. DougoJd O ' Reilly

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JOY What is joy? Who are we to know? For us life is just at the beginning, Are we to understand and know The great emotions of this life? Is joy the first snowfall of the year? Is it music that we hear? Does joy come from something well done? It is only present when we ' ve won? Can joy be private, soundless and unspoken. Or must it be pubhc, and with unbroken noise? We are just learning to express Our needs and wants, our strains and stress, Joy is but one we do not know How best to feel it, how best to show. Michael Genereux THE LONGEST FIVE MINUTES It was now only five minutes imtil they hit the beach. The Normandy coast was clearly in view and the continuous lines of soldiers wading their way through the deep water, pushing to get to the war- town shore, could be seen. In only five minutes they would have to endure the same experience. They could see many men falling in the water, under the constant German fire coming from the beach, and those who did reach shore could find hardly any shelter. All the men in the landing craft wondered if their blood would add to the blood now in the water and staining the sand. Some prayed, some wished the darn five minutes would end and get it over with, but this was the longest five minutes all of them had ever known. Many thoughts filled the heads of the craft ' s occupants, their faces being constantly sprayed by the cold ocean water, their sweating hands gripping their guns. Then the signal was given. All their thoughts and prayers came to an abrupt halt, as they stood up and made their way out of the craft into the cold sea. The longest five minutes had ended, the longest day was about to P. Robbins

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1 LIGHTNING Lightning is so very bright. It snaps and crackles through the night. It sphts, it burns, and sometimes kills, Young kids and golfers in the hills. MiJte Merry SNOW It swirls around, the falling snow, It crunches underfoot below, I love the way it seems to land. And glitters briefly on my hand. Mike Merry STARS The stars above are big and bright. They shine on me throughout the night. They ' ll shine for you if you will lie. Upon your back, and watch the sky. MiJce Merry a. 3. iTA ' .a.