Birmingham Southern College - Southern Accent Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

Page 14 text:

©Ijf Qm Oay I While a pale, passionless moon hung over the Hill, Half-obscured bv mistvi, driving clouds, I strolled the campus, disconsolate, forlorn. Weighed down bv a vague, unknowable gloom. The earth was all mystic, grotesque in the dark. And shapeless the trees, grim phantoms upreared; The halls bulked largelv, gray-columr ed, morose. Brooding, foreboding, ironic, and still. The Bowl, like an inkwell, lav under the brow Of the slopes ' highest peak; ihe stadium there. Like a gra ) ghost in the night, k pt watch Over the pool of jet. Hopeless it seemed to a dreamer of dreams; (Dull rumblings and rattlings of traffic below. Where, buried in pallor, the citv la]) hid. Submerged in an ocean of smoke and of murk). What hope of a college, what purpose for life — What vision of justice, or dream of a world Where all of its creatures could live and be free — What vision of freedom and of life could there be? II Then out of the shadows, then out of the dark Came images, visions, details of the place; Stealing, revealing, suffusing there came. Like the first ashen hues of morning, a light. Then weirdl]) it flickered and lighted the Hill And quickened and sharpened the shadows around Till all was illumined and, ghostlv, a flare; The night was retreating and rending the air!

Page 13 text:

All these dreams from a monster furnace Throwing out its nightl]) glare — Mighty monster of this trou- bled age. Is there room for vision here? .„.. jyMJJM BOOK I COSMOS

Page 15 text:

And then the Hill ' s rvestern crest began to burn With a strange golden fire; the s fp i ' ne flamed With a lurid light; the s fp stole its color And lent it to all the ear th. Glorious, golden light, tinging earth rvith its hues. Shell-pink and roseate, dissolving the shadorvs — Making all things siveet Tvith beauty. I stood exalted in its gloTV, Stretching out mp arms toward heaven. Changed from dreamer into prophet. Proclaiming the daivn of the Nexv Day! Proclaiming the day when life shall be free. Triumphant, unhampered, uncrushed by its world. Rejecting its fetters and claiming its goal. Charged with youth-poWer, inspired with youth-zeal; Fired with a passion for justice unpent; Conceiving a soul that shall never be spent! Ill All these dreams from a monster furnace Throwing out its nightly glare — Mighty monster of this troubled age. Is there room for vision here? Out of the void has form appeared. Out of the darkness dreams have come; Hidden in dreams fair Hope was born. And Hope has visioi}ed the dawn.