68 Lee Review

 

 

Excerpts from the Lee Review 1968- courtesy of Gary Bain

 

IN SILENCE AND IN GRATITUDE

WE BOW OUR HEADS TO PRAY

FOR MEN WHO FOUGHT FOR LIBERTY

AND GAVE THEIR LIVES AWAY,

WHO MARCHED TO WAR WITH COURAGE HIGH

TO ANSWER OUR COUNTRY'S CALL,

WHO SACRIFICED UNSELFISHLY,

AND GAVE THEIR ALL IN ALL.

                                                                  AUTHOR:  CYBIL GRIFFIN

 

I WATCHED HIM RUNNING ON THE SAND,

HE CAME TO ME AND TOOK MY HAND

AND LED ME WHERE THE POUNDING WAVE

HAD HOLLOWED OUT A WARM DARK CAVE.

HIS BODY LOOKED AS LIGHT AND FREE

AS BIRDS THAT FLEW ABOVE THE SEA

I RAN TO JOIN HIM IN HIS SPREE,

AND THUS BROUGHT BACK MY YOUTH TO ME.

                                                                 AUTHOR: KATHY ELLISON

 

HOPES

FALL, TUMBLE TO THE GROUND.

THERE LIE.

CALL, SUMMON BITS OF SOUND

                                           BUT DIE.                                           

 AUTHOR: ROBERT HARRELL

 

THE QUEST

THE WORLD GOES ON FROM DAY TO DAY,

WITHOUT STOPPING OR SLOWING DOWN

WE ALONE MUST FACE THIS WORLD,

WE ALONE MUST WIN OUR CROWN.

VERY FEW STOP AND SAY,

WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?

WE MUST MAKE OUR OWN PERSONAL GOALS,

AND HAVE COURAGE TO FOLLOW THEM THROUGH.

O, GOD, OUR FATHER, HELP US LIVE

AS BEST WE CAN EACH DAY,

AND LET OUR QUEST BE THAT OF HELPING

SOMEONE ELSE ALONG LIFE'S WAY.

    AUTHOR: MARY CATHERINE COLLINS

   

THE SEARCH

FROM THE DAWN OF THE FIRST DAY

UNTIL THE DUSK OF THE LAST

MAN SHALL CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR

SOMETHING THAT CAN NEVER BE FOUND.

AUTHOR: LANA KAY HARDING

 

THOUGHTS

THROUGH YONDER TREES THE WIND DOTH BLOW

VIBRATING BRANCHES HIGH AND LOW

NEVER A DOUBT, NEVER A FEAR

'TIS SONG FOR GOD AND ALL TO HEAR.

AUTHOR: ROBERT C. GAULDING JR

 

SLEEP

O COME, THOU SLEEP; COME UNTO ME SWEET REST,

AND WITH THY HEALING HANDS METE OUT TO ME

THE ELIXIR WHICH IS FOUND ONLY IN THEE.

IN THEE MY WEARY, TROUBLED MIND IS BLEST

WHEN INTO THE WATERS OF LETHE I FALL.

THOU TAKEST MY SOUL INTO HAPPY DREAMS

WHERE I AM KING OF ALL THE WORLD, IT SEEMS.

I FEEL JOY AND PEACE INTO MY HEART CRAWL.

IN THEE DO I CATCH A GLIMPSE OF DEATH'S SHORE,

BUT DO NOT EMBARK UPON CHARON'S BOAT

THOUGH THE GULF BETWEEN IS BUT A NARROW GAP

BUT SOMEBY SLEEP'S GLIMPSE WILL BE NO MORE

MERELY A  GLIMPSE; AND I SHALL CROSS THE MOAT

INTO THE LAND OF DEATH, WHILE TAKING A NAP. 

        AUTHOR: JANELLE GANEY

 

ACCEPTANCE

Life in it's fullest meaning

Is not oft attained reality

But mortals strive forever

To be accepted in society.

Acceptance by society

Is no mean achievement

Our lives forever must be

Lived for others rather than ourselves.

Peace of mind in this struggle

Can be brought forth

Only when we cleanse our souls

And do our best for others.

  AUTHOR: KATIE BARRY

 

THE PRICE OF LOVE

You cause me lots of trouble

And sometimes a little pain

But I am soon over it

And come to you again.

Love is hard to come by

And much, much harder to keep,

Sometimes the price you pay for it

Is often very steep.

Yours I'll keep forever

Somewhere in my heart

No matter if we're together

Or if we're far apart.

I'll love you til the blue birds,

Quit singing in the spring,

Until the bells in churches,

Fall and cease to ring.

AUTHOR: BOBBIE CANNON

 

SOLUTION

What lies beyond that tree?

Why not go over there and see?

What is written in this book?

Open it up and take a look.

How do you solve this equation?

You'll never do it by evasion.

When to your mind there comes a question,

Just remember this suggestion:

Search high and search low

To find out what you want to know.

Somwhere the answer lies---

It could be right there before your eyes.

AUTHOR: JANELLE GANEY

 

LIGHT

The darkness of night that would not withstand

Man's embellished window of light within,

That drew forth from searching, grasping hand

The illumination of divers sin.

Nothing overshadowed or disfigured.

By the one fervently seeking the sun

Only that of human flesh, creature, and bird

With newness, freshness of soul being won

The conquests of the mind was thus arrayed

That elements which were lost and not discerned,

Then were renovated, twisted and swayed

So that man found the brilliant light and learned

The light only hastened the mind's desire

To search and find the unquenchable fire.

       AUTHOR: JIMMY TOMPKINS 

 

  

AMERICA

THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINSIDE,

THE STILLNESS OF THE SHORE,

BOTH JOIN TO FORM A NATION GREAT,

WHOSE BUILDING WAS A CHORE.

IT TOOK BOTH MEN OF SIZE AN SKILL,

TO MAKE THIS NATION GREAT,

WHOSE DREAMS BECAME REALITY

AND SOON BECAME ITS FATE.

THIS COUNTRY MAY HAVE GROWN A LOT,

BUT REALLY IT'S THE SAME,

IT HAS THE SAME STEEP MOUNTAINSIDES,

THAT BROUGHT IT, ITS GREAT NAME.

 

 

 

 

REQUIEM TO A DEAD MARINE

There is a stillness; quiet pervades throughout the valley

Which moments before was shattered by the sounds of death.

The emerald-green jungle lies deceitfully serene and calm,

Filling men's minds with thoughts of apprehension

And morbid scenes of the Grim Reaper's ghastly harvest.

Down, down the long, sinister rifle barrel a lonely Marine looks,

Watching and listening for the signs of movement

Proclaiming the hordes of yellow men he knows will come.

Suddenly, in the omnipresent gloom of no-man's land

A tremulous, frightened cry arises, "Please God, someone help me!"

And he knows a comrade lies helpless in his own blood.

A wave of fear grips him; his human compassion cries out,

What can I do; how can I help him-- "Medic, Medic!"

The young gyrene waits, knowing no help will come.

The wounded lad calls out in anguish, "Someone please kill me!"

Down, down the long sinister rifle barrel a lonely Marine looks,

Sighting his companion in the groove of the V-notch.

One lonely tear trickles down a grimy cheek and a shot is fired.

Quiet reigns once more throughout the jungle,

And a young man knows of yet another life to avenge.....

                                                          AUTHOR: BRUCE ERIC SCOFIELD