South Side High School - Optimist Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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her heart had memorized long before. Her husband turned to look at ier and to his understanding eye came the vision ОЇ his wite... Tree, I SEEK THE CRYSTAL STREAM | seek the crystal stream, Where on soft whispers The ev enıng W ind comes to cool itself... For I would bathe in diamond water, nd would drink of liquid like the morning dew Limpidly it runs over smooth white pebbles, In a far-away land where the sun sets a wondrous purple, nd birds who shame the flaming peacock, O'erflow with so divine a rain of melody He stills his lyre, does Israfel, to listen in despair . . . And when the last violet tinge has left the sky, And the harmony diurnal has slow ly thinned to silence. Stoops the evening W ind over a my stic paradise l'o sway in utter tranquility, E'er departing on pulsating wings To cool the night of other lands... Ah yes [ seek the crystal stream, Where on soft whispers, The evening wind comes to cool itself ç Re Davip SANDUSKY ETERNAL QUESTION The child’s round eyes were | turned оп me: Returning later with troubled Oh, what is beyond the sky? face, | she asked: What is beyond the space? Space, I answered, stroking her asked she, J I head. І found myself answering hol- “Oh!”—and she skipped off hap- lowly, pily. Space, I whispered, Space— space—space!” MARLENE URBACH

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MELODY FLoRENCE C. BAZELON Silently he made his way through the lonely night. Before him dimly shone the lights of a distant town. Of course Mibs was happy, she was free. At the moment her attention was entirely focussed upon the all-important subject of what gown to wear. He stumbled, but by straining every muscle, ex ery nerve, he man aged to save himself from falling and continued on his way. The dim lights shone brighter. Mibs chanted a popular tune. Her heart was lighter than air: her voice, a terrible one for tone, sounded sweet with happiness. She took a pale orchid mussoline de soie creation, that billowed and ruffled in a most becoming manner, from its hanger. She held it up to her and was quite pleased with the effect. She continued to hum. A transparent melody shimmered above his head. It entered his consciousness and entangled itself about his senses. Dazed. he listened. Awed, he memorized its beauty, while his heart sang the words, the wordless words. How bright the lights were. “Goodnight, Mom, Pm taking the car and calling for Byrdie. Don’t expect me for breakfast.” The melody grew louder, the lights dazzled, slowly he climbed the worn porch steps. Mibs slammed the car door shut and rushed up the worn porch steps three at a time, almost colliding with the figure huddled at the top of the steps. “Hello, what's this? Who are you? Мі fairly screamed with fright and breathlessness. The figure was humming a strange haunting tune that sounded sweet yet hollow to Mibs' ears. The man scarcely noticed the girl as he continued to hum his melody. It swam through her mind; its wantonness, like some beautiful image, hypnotized her, until even her voice was enslaved. and she too began to hum. Their voices, scarcely audible, clung together, blend ing, while the hollow tone vanished and a new fullness sounded. The stranger turned to her and smiled a slow deliberate smile, that tore at her heart, suffocating her. Then, after rising, gripping her shoulders and looking deep into Mibs’ eyes, he disappeared. Eight years later, a woman, matured beyond her years took her place in the Mayor's Box at the Grand Music Hall. With her was her husband, the Mayor. People pointed them out as the perfect couple, for none could see inside of her heart. The leader raised his baton, the lights dimmed, the overture began. The melody seethed through her brain, haunting her, hypnotizing her, enslaving her voice and once again she began to hum a tune that

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TANTALUS THELMA LEVITT The rain rushed violently down in torrents. The night was bleak and gray. The man drew his filthy, tattered coat collar about him and shivered. His drawn, hungry face looked pathetically envious as he stared at the warmly clothed pedestrians passing to and fro. His brain seemed to throb with a steady beat, Something to eat! Something to eat! He blew on his hands to put some warmth into them. Suddenly a car came to an abrupt stop, and the chauffeur opened the door for a woman whose throat and arms were covered with jewels. As she stood for a moment, apparently waiting for someone, the beggar noticed hanging from her wrist, a bracelet which was held from falling to the ground by a tiny catch. His heart pounded as he realized how easily the bracelet might fall—fall into his possession. He grew faint and closed his eyes a second as if to gain vitality. He moved slowly towards the woman. His plan was to lurch drunkenly against her quite accidentally. That would loosen the bracelet into his hands. He glanced about him to see that no one was watching. Reassured he moved closer and closer to her and stretched out his grimy hand. Suddenly, the bracelet grew larger and larger and began to whirl around and around. The woman, the car, the people, the houses, all whirled about him into space. The woman turned as a small crowd of people gathered near her. What happened? she asked, as a man arose from his kneeling posi tion near the prostrate figure. Dead, poor beggar! he exclaimed. ARTEMIS She, is a sliver of silver, now a gleaming disk. But the clouds PIONEER are jealous. They smother her and tear her apart, and make her vanish. Yet she returns again and grows again eternally. Is it Artemis or yet another? Mary Litwin He stands alone In a world that is cruel To theorists. He waits alone For his brethren to follow Where they want not to go. He came alone, And waits tirelessly But they will come At the end of a millenium. RurH LEWITTER