1979 School Magazine

She could see that they had something she didn,t have. She asked them where she could buy it. They laughed joyously and told her it was free for the asking. They offered to give it to her, but told her she,d better come with them and find out about it firsi. thet were pleased she'd asked, and were ready to tell hei more. She was too shy, though, and went away again. But it bugged herl Night after night she worried over it, puzzling it out. They were ordinaiy people. She'd known some of them before they found whatever it was. gut she didn't want to ask. She wanted to make up her o*n r.nlnO fi rst. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. She asked if they could please explain about whatever it was that made them so happy, ;cos, well sne tfrougni she'd like to have it too. But when they told her, she said no. She didn't owe anything to anyone, and why should she admit to^anyone that she wasn't everything'sne tnougni she was? No one else who was just th'e same as her hld the right to tetl her she needed sbmeone to f ix up her lifeJ She kept thinking about death. Black coffin, earth on top. D,i,rty headstone, long grass. Dead flowers. OeaO, Oeab. All dead. Hell - what was that? The word was'scary. "Weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth." Whit was wrong with her? She never seemed to be happy any morel Death, death, death, hell, death . . Oamnition, "eternal darkness" ln .the night she prayed. She had woken after a nightmare and couldn't stand it any longer. They,d said I was easy to take it, but difficult to live out afterwards. But whe.n she'd done it, she felt better. No sudden OiinOing shaft of, light. She just fett sure and confident, and peaceful. She was glad she'd brought herself to do it at last,, !ecgu19. really, inside herself , she'd known att atong thai God's Way was the only one. Anne Jell, 12E. No wayl lt was her life, wasn't it? After that she had terrible dreams.

THE OTTER The sleek brown body darting around not making a splash or a single sound Shooting through the waves iike a flying arrow Graceful and swifl, straight and narrow. He twists and turns Iike a writhing eel Up and down, then around he wh-eels Under the boat and out of sight Way down in the deep of thswater bright. He appears again on the other side Then swims to the boar in the hope of a ride, With a mighty splash he leaves the water And into the rocking boat scrambles the otter.

Jane Patterson, 8C

A peach lay dying Who cared that the spangulated worms Looped and heaved in her plasmedic depths. But her cry

Arched in a melancholic moan and gripped the icy features of the sun. Those hideous eyes, searched the shrieking sky. While the moon fell into the unripe sea. Who was there to watch fate overwhelm . . the naked assasslnation of our sun. None, but a rotting seal seated on a podium " a bonnet tightly clad on her wet head. Gazed with hollow eyes.

MY PEN My pen - it's slimline, slender shape, It's sloping shoulders from curved, blue nape, It's silver writing; fine, bright line. "Japan-7H" twirls as I sign. The plastic knob that leads to ink Pauses thoughtfully as I think. The lid; close-fitting, serrated ridge, And high-raised, plastic, bar-like bridge. It sleekly curls within my hand, Drops swanlike, deskwards, as I stand., Kathie Jeays, 9A.

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