Canarsie High School - Criterion Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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W Nuclear Nightmare af i World rensimsl mounting at aa alarming ratesf' it Political solutions shelved in favor of war andiihate Nuclear nightmare casting a pall over man's fate. World forever changed in fortygfive A Strvsslsaaifssifvivsi. ll'll' . Created Airiedium forieiipressing rnanisiljrutality. No longer calls for Atoms for Peacev No chance. for a nuclear arrasidecrease. g g .Pesvle dstaeasfrsfs at Hnssfrsrke rally oll e the ell, f rCataclysmiciApoiver releasedfriom fusion y A War planners living under dangerous delusion. Generals speak of strategies like MAD Man's futsuresappears bleakgrand sad. Nations club if J, Wishing to possess a missilefor Aa sub. A g Third Worldcountries wanting athe Bomb A To cause unrest and disrupt calm. Moscow possesses missiles vvithgmassivc throyvqyeight But, WHSAl3iitgif?1T5..CQUUtC1'5'Asliiiiflllfifsigims that iriainersie.. Pentagontechitology bringsfliifoyerkill ettll But the Kremlin has megaton 'warheads in each hardened site. pwarmongersand hawks preach hostility While peaceignalrers' efforts..A.fj2!1Ci..i11pfutility.t r4llQ 3 a t f .SurperpowEi?45Ci?EQi5r1te Ahasrlongasincc ended is Present differences can't be peacefully mended. A Diplomats try to stop the arms race But at best they succeed in slowing the pace. Distrust andprigrfuspicion plaguegiarrns talks yy 5 l lc Arid lttt 3 negsfieifrsiiitiiks-y i Belligerentifpiidpaganda in verbal World soon to become a funeral pyre. Hard line stance caused communications break Future of world is clearly at stake. , A call to arnis is urgently recommended. A World economy thrust into depression A Nations panic over coming aggression. World eventssclearly forbodegggh , in is to t r tld Because nuclear arms proliferation will prevail. A Facts are now crystal-clear Nuclear war is unfortunately near. Armageddon noglonger topic for useless discourse IQSY A1n,hun1anqiR!i?rg0urSe' . is n0tJiiie'si1re brink of insanity The death knell soon to sound for humanity. Nuclear war must now be inflicted Because international interests havetragically ,,t,, A ',i i . i,tr 'is ' i M if Nuclear weaponssoon to be utilized. . Both superpowers begin mobilization Ready to inflict urban vaporization. W 1 Q . It ' II11SS1lCSQ follow pa predetermined path X peopleisrisoorifto incur tliefieitemys wrathi Eartlfs Adoomsdayf can no longer he delayed But civil defense messages are useiessly relayed. Nuclear missiles rain down and exterminate Wihilcethe enemyfsyforces are sureitto reciprocate. .ydestruetion wreakedt .atfground zero Soionlyia survivorfyiiill be a heroiffi A irii Y Rising mushroom cloud Earth surrounded by radioactive shroud. Nuclear nightmare has taken its toll iend of ntarigssfproductivey role. p g reduced ito twisted steel A The magnitude of death and destruction is unreal. In the aftermath of war, civilization quietly dies And survivors mimic life in Lord of the Flies. min f Q 1 .1 ,. Huslsafrftasarons hHS.thsfa'br11Aty to Gauss farms Araceliioifiiiayr an.intoleraEi1e itri price. A A World must sow at new mentalityff ' By solving differences and forging a new reality. Butadvice has come too late mei tfsgltefete- e Societies ended .bjaiapocalyptic ryii Through misuse of nuclear technology surge. Man has given in to his destructive urge Sound civilizations mournful dirge. .sf y i 1 irifiififfif ffi. A rfi. John Gilsoqfgf.

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Reflections by John Gilson The conclusion of the sheltered phase Thrusts one into a society's maze. Life is led at a heightened pace By reluctant participants in the frantic rat race. Coming of age, innocence is shattered Illusions about life are relentlessly battered. But retention of faith is the vital spark That sustains our existence when times are dark. All the world's a stagen All performers within a cage. A miscast actor rehearses his part Living an unlikely role, wishing to depart. Adolescent visions of hope Tempered by the continuous effort to cope. Recollections of what was dreamed Reality is not what it once had seemed. The web of life and human interactions The emotional reactions and its countless distractions. The intertwining of roles And the vital interchange that patches emotional holes. Some are able to achieve affluence Some are able to wield great influence But fortunate are those who maintain their integrity And see through the facade to uncover insincerity. Everybody seeks to conform They become like circus animals forced to perform But fortunate are those who dare be distinct And follow their judgement and reliable instinct. Some assume the role of deceptive vipers Misleading others like modern day Pied Pipers But fortunate are those who resist their charms Because unsuccessfulness then disarms. Some are driven by selfish desires Only to be consumed by raging fires. True greatness is found in those who assist For through their giving, our hopes will persist. The craftsman and his works of art The intellectual alienated and set apart. The creative pulse that moves mankind That invaluable illumination we seek to find. Everyone indifferent, accepting the status quo Where are those who are willing to say no? Why should the winds of change be so cold? Where are those willing to break from the fold? Reality holds no land of Xanadu For lofty goals we choose to no longer pursue. Where are those who will uproot the weeds? Where are those who will sow the seeds?

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Progressive Regression s Run free, my verse! As birds do along the sky, And then, for 3 fleeting iHSt21Hf, it'S g0I1e3 And finish herein where it all begins: The touch, the cold caress, the fingertip, Where you start and where you die. The passing glance, the spasm of fury, a brilliant swoop Because it really doesn't matter in And the blade falls. The End. Gone forever. .lust kidding. A dancer's blur across the stageg The soft sigh heaves The writer writes across the page, As Rocinante leaves A painter strokes across canvas, Along with passing thoughts g All the more to mock us. Into the darkened void. The waves return with unrelenting fury, And so it goes. In leaving, creating, and destroying upon return. fThank you, Mr. Vonnegutj The instant is gone and a life is lost While the rampant fires of heaven burn. The flux disperses all within, I And the passing thought moves on An orgiastic triumph fades away ln cerebral hamburger it all begins: And a hot sigh escapes. We're all little butterflies skewered with pins. The sheets turn cold as the lovers lay As their seething sweat dissapates. I think I am - I am, I think. Across the brimy, bubbling brink Six. We walk the Wire, and threaten to sink. To you, my love, I lift my drink! We remember things past, We should live while we lastg so s We willsduel at dawn, Then we shall move on. Blow me a kiss, I bid thee adieu And I hope I haven't sickened you, I really don't mind being a bauble of fate It's all this meaninglessness that I truly hate. The moment is over, my passion is spent, Another mind's useless wanderings went With the falling blade all is done. Things progress and things move on, - And then, for a fleeing instant, it's gone. And so it goes. N.P. - a note for the wary of heart: g Knot to be confused with the other bullj Cand, if you let me quote Mr. Vonnegut once againl, We are here for no purpose, unless we can invent one. Sincerely, H.N. Lys g S. Schindler 80 ffrom page 236 of his novel, Jailbirdjr