December 1957 School Magazine

Brisbane Girls ' Grammar School Magazine

December, 1957

Brisbane Girls ' Grammar School Magaxine

De:embe r, 195·,

NOVEMBER NERVES (With apo logies to Browning) Oh , to be in Third Form, Now that Junior 's here , For , whoever wakes in Fourth Form Sees, some morning , unaware , That the jacarandas are in bloom ; Above the golf-links green , they loom, And haggard girls o ' er books do bow, In Fourth Form, now. - M. LOW E, IVB NIGHT Creeping softly from afar , Her kindly hands outstretched to bless , And gently wrap in velvet folds Of slumber , all the universe. As cheeky stars with impish winks Peep boldly at the sleeping wo rld , An ancient brother dyi ng fast , Flutters like a flag unfurled . The corn-gold moon sa ils slowly past , Shining through the sighing trees . On mottled canvas coarse with grime , A muted picture, black and white. A skilful hand, a master's touch Spills beauty o'er the scented night . A ghostly ship in misty seas . Fabled huntress chaste and fair ,

REVERIE

With a roar , twelve Spitfires of 353 Fighter Squadron soared out of sight over the coast. " That's Brown' s crew off on another so rtie ," said men on the ground enviously. Forty minutes later the formation flew in a tight vee high over the heavil y fo rtified enemy coastline without opposition , a nd headed south . Ten m inutes more, at an altitude of 10,000 feet , and "Squadron prepare to attack ," boomed over the inter -com. " Roger " . Rex Brown, D.S .O. , D.F.C. and Bar, jammed the joystick down. D for Dolly peeled off from the formation and plung- ed down , down , down , until the ground seemed t o rush up to meet the Spitfire. On either side appeared the lethal little white puffs of flak . Brown released the bomb shute and down dropped a small black "fish" which spelt destruction to the well cam- ouflaged munitions factories below. He could see startled upturned faces-he was too low! With clammy hands he jerked the joystick back. He turned the Spitfire's nose up in a feverish attempt to gain altitude . He felt it shudder-he was hit I Glancing out of the cockpit he was horrified to see the starboard wing shot to ribbons ; the engine coughed and spluttered ; the rudder bar did not respond to his touch- D for Doll y was going down . "Am preparing to ditch, " he shouted into his mouth- piece. "Jump, chief , jump ! You ' re on fire !" Frantic;all y Brown pushed back the cowl·ing . "T:he smoke blinded him; he felt himself being sucked out of the cockpit . " Brown 1 ! Since you find Latin so bor ing as to send you to sleep , perhaps say 1,000 lines would enliven you a Iittle?" -J .. GELLIE, I VA

-J . KELLY, IIIB

Pam Walker, III C.

42

43