St Marys High School - Per Annos Yearbook (Cortland, NY)

Page 15 text:

My tortured mind twisted and writhed under The pressure of these grim ponderings, And my eyes stared blindly through the window, Beyond the tall elm glistening in the sudden burst of sunlight, Past the shining tiles of the Cathedral spires, Up-up to the stupendous arc that adorned the clear heavens. Bright, dull-hues of all sorts Mixed suddenly with my thoughts, My mind became a jumbled mass, reeled, and With a start realized that the storm was over! A bird was singing! My heavy heart made a leap to answer- No!!!-I stopped- My head became flooded once more with the turbulent reflections Ot two seconds ago. ' The bird sang again. There it is! Why, it's an oriole! The lithe amber bird was busily flitting Back and forth, singing all the time. Whatever was it doing? Could it be that- Why, in the exact same spot it was building Another nest! Its whole life was ruined-yet it was singing! Singing! It was happy! Was it possible that our world could also be thus rebuilt-happily? Was it possible to square your shoulders, Smile, And stoop and build them up with worn-out too1s ? Really possible? The oriole's song filled my room- This time my heart did not hesitate to respond! Once more it seemed to settle my problems, And I imagined it was saying to me- No one denies that it's hard to bear our burdens patiently To the foot of the Cross- But it's harder to hang there- . Mary Antil '43 me

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O TCDMOI2 ROW-- Perhaps it was the rain thudding dully on the roof, Or maybe the battered saddle-shoes Stupidly gaping up at me from under the bed, lt might even have been the conglomeration Of assignments to be done on my desk- At any rate, I was disgusted-pretty thoroughly disgusted! The sombre shadows of the room were soon a part Of my mood, but even they appeared radiant In contrast to the swirling torrents of morbid revulsion That soon enveloped me. Eighteen!- Oh glorious youth - Life's threshold -bah! Not even the grossest stretch of imagination Could rearrange the jumble of the world Into anything desirable, promising or bright In my eyes. On every side We're told the fight for survival Is still in its infancy. And repeatedly we hear that this age Also marks the beginning of our generation- Perhaps We're both destined to exit together! Why study? Why hope? Why dream? Our future is clearly defined and pre-patterned before us, There is no mystery shrouding the years that lie ahead- Only grim realities, unavoidable truths, A war-Weary humanity blindly groping Amid chaos, oblivion, and economic dislocation In a world drained of amity and accord, A beaten world, Where life means death-death of the will, Of the soul, Where progress and hope are mere terms- Vague, unreal, Where broken homes, trampled minds and crushed spirits, The only, inevitable achievement of the long strife, Are universal characteristics. A bellowing crack of lightning made a jagged gash ln the dark skies, And the wind beat furiously at the slim elm Outside my window. A small oriole's nest was ripped from the branches And dashed to the ground. How symbolic of our life, torn from its very roots To be shattered in one sweep, While years of labor, prayers and plans are dashed to atoms Before our eyes!

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2 MATILDA VORMWALD Tillie' '... abounding energy . . . wee mite . . . 110 lb. bundle of vim, vigor and vitality . . . big, trusting brown eyes . . . keen memory for dates . . . college-bound . . . million dollar baby in the Five and Ten . . . Sweater girl . . . SUE ROBERT CORCORAN First degree woman-hater . . . What-the-nut . . . wise sayings . . .. cagey hoopster . . . shy-well, maybe . . . most sociable . . . Mr. Five- plus-five . . . Physics wizard . . . elusive. . . pursued but not pursuer . . . ski-enthusiast . . . greatest ambition-yard-bird . . . 'BLUE JoANNR BRAUN Beauty n' brains . . . hit of the party . . . garrulous . . . all the qualities of a good stenographer -including the eraser . . . scholastic ability . . . original essayist . . . partial to chocolate cake and puppies. . .efficient editor . . . Hollywood-bound CSenior Playl . . . clever mathematician . . . happy-go-lucky . . . bashful???. . . B05 HAROLD DUMAS Daydreamer . . . black eyes . . . ardent sportsman . . . fast on court . . . studious . . . lover of nature . . . expert historian . . . reserved . . . sincere X. . . tranquil . . . still water runs deep . . . artist of the comic strip . . . ski-champ . . . favorite baby-tender . . . future General . . . basketball assistant manager . . .