Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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THE ELCHANITE gled over her poetry, in fact, grappled ferociously, exerting the effort to over- come a tiger, but I have been unsuccessful. On the other hand, the poems of Keats are lively in a way that seduces you. When I sip my hot chocolate, with the steam rising from it as curls of smoke, and read poetry, a hurricane couldn't bother me. The poet broke out in a smile that seemed to crack the corners of his mouth. The Captain took Shapiro by the arm and both strolled the deck, engaged very much in the possibility that Keats' poetry and beauty will be immortal, and Shelley's egocentricity will doom him. Their delightful talking, however, was only ephemeral, for Leibowitz, the radio operator, came running, panting, thirsty for a peaceful breath. Captain Dorfman, sir, there seems to be an undue commotion on the ship, for my messages from the States are coming over the wires full of static. I hope you will be able to do something. A commotion did you say? All right, I will see that it is stopped immedi- ately. Meanwhile, return to your radio. The Captain turned to Shapiro and excused himself. He walked hastily on and Shapiro engaged himself pleas- antly by watching the nervousness of the hopping waves. The Captain searched the ship, like a bird looking for bits of food in the grass, to locate the source of commotion. He walked hurriedly, the motion of his feet like that of a skipping rooster. His conversation with the poet Shapiro, that promised to be diverting and delightful, had been interrupted, and this tended to raise his ire. Suddenly, he was frightened by a roar of voices that came from a state- room. The voices were rudely high and boisterous: the language used was very profane. The Captain knocked on the door rather importantly, never losing control of his dignity. The door was opened by a young man with a cigar stuck between his lips like a gas jet in the wall, and yelled: Yes, sir. What is it? I am sorry, said the Captain, but you people are making unnecessary noise and commotion: all that will have to be stopped. He looked into the room and saw reporters and writing men surrounding a man who had a bushy mustache decorating his face. All the men quieted themselves, and the man in the center continued with all the simplicity in tone of voice as a child who mindlessly promises its mother to be good. The man had thick eyebrows that shook at every twist of mouth. The Captain entered the room and closed the door behind him. He listened mindfully to the words of this man, who was like a lone dandelion surrounded by standing green grass. His motions lent rhythm to his voice, his speech was omnipresent. You see, then, he said joyously, that with the I-l.I.E.P., one rarely has to depend on his relatives or his government for luxuries. Everyone will be on an equal footing, all eating the same food and living in the same way, with abundance of freedom and democracy. At this point the Captain whispered to one of the men and inquired, What is this 'H.I.E.P.?' The reporter turned about and stared, his eyes reaching out beyond his skull, like promonotories on a cape. '23

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THE ELCI-lANlTE CDN THE GOCDD SHIP LOLLIPOP tThe following prophecy is published through the courtesy of the United States Weather Bureau. The Bureau has fallen down on weather forecasts so badly, that it has decided to try its hand at prophesying the lives of our graduates, twenty-five years from now. All objections and corrections should be sent to the United States Weather Bureau, Washington, D. C., and they will be promptly disregarded.--The Editorsi The ship crawled on the pimpled water. lt swung on its sides with the rude grace ot a drunkard. The sun didn't shine: it hid and danced behind the clouds that looked like mounds ot whipped-cream. The waves lapped against the side ot the ship and hugged it, rows of trees leaning against the crest of rising hills. People were playing on the deckp some walked and talked and balked at every roll ot the ship. The Captain stayed in his room, alone, and read trom a tat and handsome looking volume ot Keats' and Shelley's poetry. He read the sonnets by Keats and sipped, at the same time, a glass ot hot chocolate, with all the eagerness and glow ot a child swallowing spoontuls oi ice cream. The Captain very much liked to spend his time this way and a calm voyage always attorded him infinite and hilarious delight. He loved to con- verse with some ot the passengers about the poetry ot Keats and Shelley. That day he was riroettitied that there was a poet on the boat who was ever trying to revive the poetry' of Gertrude Stein: a poet who gave lectures, but who on this voyage, was taking a rest. The Captain lett his hot .chocolate and poetry and found the poet reading aloud some ot Gertrude Stein's rough and unintelligible lines. His voice rolled tlowing-like, garrulously, lending rare rhythm 'to the poetry. l-le talked to the waves and at tirst Captain Dortman was afraid to bother this eccentric person. The Captain strolled back and forth and-waited till the poet closed his book and leaned against the ra-il. The Captain ap- proached and called out: VW' Hello, my dear sir. V How do you do? M I am Captain Dortman ot the Good Ship Lollipop. And who are you, my dear sir? . - - My name is Milton Shapiro. , l suppose that you are enjoying your trip very much. You seem to be engrossed in poetry. ' Oh, yes. Poetry instills in me a rare liveliness that tends to embalm me with a togginess. l am sometimes senseless and feel nothing but the lively rhythm that Gertrude Stein creates. lndeed, l believe that she is a world in herself. The Captain pocketed his hands and listened with strained ears to the words ot this poet who was surely an odd Worshipper ot poetry. l have attempted to read Gertrude Stein many times, said the Captain, but l have always found her work hard to understand. She seems to like verbal hardness and, as a result, she writes unintelligible stuff. l have strug- 22'

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THE ELCHANITE The 'H.l.E.P.?' Well, that stands for a 'Herring ln Every Pot.' lt is the campaign slogan of this gentleman, Senator Huey Lipschitz, who is presiden- tial candidate for l96U. The Captain put the palm of his hand to his mouth and choked a laugh that would have sounded something like the exhaust of a motor car. Indeed, what a herring in every pot would do towards aiding a depression-ridden country remained impossible. The Captain, however, shrugged his shoulders in doubt and contented himself with simply listening to the Senator's talk and abstaining from any annoying comment. The Senator continued energetically. Unemployed will be given jobs in public herring-works, shipping and dis- tributing herring and pots throughout the country. This public works program will provide millions of jobsp it will serve the people, and the herring will cost the government practically nothing. lt was then that the illustrious Hearst reporter, Pickholtz, wearing a pair of eye-glasses that looked like a bicycle with its wheels rapidly turning, like records on a phonograph, popped up rather forcefully. Senator Lipschitz, sir. l am afraid that your H.l.E.P. public works program will afford plenty of room for big scale chiselers and racketeers, as in the' case of previous relief programs. Well, Mr. Pickholtz, l will dare to say that your fear is premature. Our public works will be run by a highly efficient staff, consisting of college pro- fessors and brain-trusters, who will rarely be deficient in their unerring efforts. The Senator beamed with joy at his eloquent speaking. But, Senator Lipschitzf' continued Pickholtz rather persistently, will not your H.l.E.P. program lower the American standard of living to such a degree, that it would compare with the present low standard in Red Russia? Man, if unemployment can be done away with, and its burdening and deadening effects vanish, any standard of living could be gradually raised. Our whole program is mainly to relieve the country in such a way that people will be satisfied. The papermen shot questions at the Senator and wrote rapidly the words he answered. They all wrote eagerly and with satisfaction. The Senator ran his finger through his big mustache, that seemed to the Captain to be like the fur of a brown bear. Captain Dorfman left the cabin silently, astonished and troubled Cas if he had been walking in a green forest when a tree knocked him on his facet, all because he had seen such a crazy sort of a presidential candidate. He soon forgot, however, about the Senator. He hurried back to the poet, Shapiro, with whom he could have a light supper and talk poetry. ln the heavens the clouds rolled slowly, rounded like low waves on the ocean, with the same darkness which enveloped praying trees in autumn winds. lt was blacker in the sky and night was coming to loll in the heavens like a gloomy stranger at a roadside house. The Captain returned and found Shapiro leaning against the rail. He was smoking a cigarette, and the smoke that rose in curls was like the scene of wrangling human bodies in agony, entwined and twisted, dumb, silent and dead. 24'