Chrysalis
1984
•halos by -David Ricardo
Chrysalis THE LITERARY & GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE OF FERRUM COLLEGE
Chrysalis Staff edito,..i11¡chief
cheryl musolf
literary editor
art director
david ricardo
business ma11ager
sandypoole
photo editor
brad manning
sponsor
dan gribbin
literary & art assistants harry collins, becky harvey. danilo calilung, missy mclean
jan lacoss
Table of Contents Prose CONTRIBUTOR Rebecca Harvey
C. Ray Daisey
DREAMER
JoAnn Laforce
ONE LAST PLEA
PAGE 3 8 27
CONTRIBUTOR Corrine Bauer
LES MOMENTS SOLITAIRES LuAnne Eggleston
ONLY ONE DAY TO LIVE Sara Beck
LE VENT, MON CAMARADE DEJEU
Beverly Drake
PONY RIDE
Melanie Rakes
THE NUT HOUSE (RUSSIAN)
Poetry Carolyn Pike
GIFTS WITHOUT GIVING Elizabeth Evans
WAVES WHEN DO THE BUTTERFLIES DIE? Barbara Jenkins
PLAYING GUITAR (RUSSIAN) Cat Berry
THE PATH ONCE HIDDEN BEHIND THE SHADOWS
W. D. Thornton
VAGUELY 2
s 21
Kara Leigh
THIEF
David Dudley
A DARK DAY Diamond Boyd
.12
lJ
PREDATORY POWER Marissa Burton
AMULET
PAGE 17
18
24
25
26 JO JI 32
CONTRIBUTOR Ray Walden SPORTAS/A
PAGE 39
CONTRIBUTOR-
PAGE
LuAnne Eggleston 15, 21-22. 31, 37 Cathy Payne 23, 33
Art CONTRIBUTOR-
PAGE
David Ricardo Title Page, Cover, 1, 10, 11, 14, 19-20, 29, 39-40
Barry Collins 26, 30 Jeff Craggctt 35 Marissa Burton 36
Charlene Click 6
Photography
Robert Shaffer 11-12
Brad Manning Inside Covers
Lynette Davis 16. 38
David Ricardo 4. 7. 17
JoAnn Laforce 28. 32
Danilo Calilung 41
O(MO::)/IJ P.'t1tJQ-
•
Gifts Without Giving The glow of afternoon aspen, the smell of the forest after it rains, The wind in conversation easing the ache of age-old limbs as I listen from my bed of cool soft moss These sensations that ease my mind and intoxicate my soul appear like gifts beneath the trees. The pain of a river on my unsuspecting feet, the power of a flower to distract me from a snow-capped mountain horizon I kneel and bow paying homage to its scent I hear a bee humming somewhere only waiting to use it These sensations that ease my mind and intoxicate my soul appear like gifts given to me •.. But the wilderness she gives unintentionally, And the only gift I can offer her also lacks intent a gift to let her be.
-Caroly11 Pike
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page2
Tuka by
•
Rebecca Harvey .ft( an stood at the window. He could feel his heart beating wildly. He could almost hear it. Fear was forming a tight knot - a hangman's knot - in his throat. It was going to be dark soon and Alan knew it. Someone in the street below sucked a cigarette into glowing life. The person was a tall, gangly shadow. Yet, there was another form that Alan could feel, although he hadn't seen him. Tuka was out there and Alan knew it. Alan had spent every night since Tuka had moved in with the family next door in this fashion. Alan watched. Alan waited. Alan hid. Tuka would find him. It was inevitable. It had to happen, much in the same way that people have to grow up. Alan knew that he would never grow up. He wouldn't even reach his sixteenth birth day, even though it was only a month away. Tuka was going to get him and Alan knew ii. Alan thought that perhaps Tuka didn't know his hiding place. For a brief moment, Alan hoped. Then, realizing that a life of fear was no life at all, Alan wished that Tuka would strike. That would put an end to his misery. Death would put an end to the dread that descended on him with each nightfall. Alan would finally get his much-needed sleep. A long, peaceful slumber would come to him soon. and Alan knew it. Alan couldn't tell anyone of the fears which haunted him from dusk to dawn. Others would think he was insane if he told them that
a cat wanted him. He said it aloud: "A cat wants to possess me." It did sound crazy. but it was terribly true. He had known it since the first time he had gazed into Tuka's golden eyes. He had known it instantly, and he couldn't change it. He couldn't tell anyone - that was the worst part. He had to suffer alone until it happened. It would happen, and Alan knew it. Suddenly, there was a crashing sound. The windowpane shattered as a lithe black body surged through it. Alan saw the hideous shining eyes that had haunted him for so long. He saw sleek, ebon fur. He saw razor-sharp claws. Oh, yes, Tuka's claws were burrowing into his neck. It hurt more than Alan had expected it would. Yet, Alan could not scream. His vocal chords had been severed. Alan was dying. A wave of relief swept over his mind and crashed against his heart .•. then, the pounding stopped. It was all over and Alan knew it.
••••••
Mrs. Richards didn't understand her son's behavior at break fast. He was lapping his milk from his cereal bown like a - well, like a CAT. He had what appeared to be an entire box of band-aids plastered to his neck. Alan wasn't his usual talkative self. He was deathly quiet. Mrs. Richards couldn't understand why Alan's eyes had such a strange glow to them. Something was desperately wrong, and Mrs. Richards knew it. 0
-Photo by David Ricardo
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page 4
Waves Waves come in, don't go out. Replenish yourselves to me, the sea. Breathe deep and spit your salt at all who try to enter and dirty your blues. Spray your mist upon those who kiss and wish to worship you, baptizing those who mean no harm. You arc endless life evolving from your waves circling around and around and around. Death to those who enter your depths and power to all who dare, crumbling at the feet of children heartless to those you scare. Come in waves, replenish yourselves to me, the sea. -Elizubetl1 Evu,is
-Charlc11c Click
CHRYSALIS
/984
Puge 6
-David Ricardo
Dreamer by C Ray Daisey rain fell on the people leaving the cemetery. There were A gentle three couples, two young men, and the minister. After the
couples had offered their condolences to one of the young men, he stood alone as the other went to the car. He was eighteen or nineteen, tall with fair skin and light hair. From looking at him, it would seem that his mind was very far away from the funeral that day. As he came out of his daydreaming momentarily, he heard one of the ladies conversing to her husband as they walked off. ..What will he do now?" she asked. "Where will he go? Will he stay at home?" The husband very sympathetically answered, "I don't know." Bobby knew they were speaking of him. Those questions kept echoing in his mind. What would he do, now? Would he stay there? Bobby's answer parallelled the husband's, because he really didn't know. The sound of his name brought him out of his second trance. "Bobby, BOBBY! Will you come on and get in the car so we can go home?" It was Duncan, his friend, trying to usher him into the car. As Bobby sat in the car, he tried to put together the pieces of the last three weeks. Three weeks ago, Bobby and Duncan had graduated from high school. After a week on the beach, they returned home to lounge around for the rest of the summer, to wait for August to arrive. Then, they would take off and enjoy college life for the next four years. Three days after returning home, Bobby awoke around six in the morning in a cold sweat. He had just experienced the most horrible dream of his life. In his dream, he saw his parents in an automobile accident somewhere near home - a drunk driver forcing them off the road and into a ravine, then the car exploding. Bobby had experienced dreams before, but none like this. It was so real, so lifelike, that it was beyond imagination.
••••••
When they finally arrived at Bobby's home, they had supper and just sat around talking. Bobby revealed the contents of his dream to Duncan for the first time. After thinking for a few moments, Duncan regarded it as pure coincidence and nothing more. Duncan left around seven, and after an hour of television Bobby shut it off. Being alone in an old home can make the mind wander, he thought. Perhaps it was just coincidence. The questions from the funeral still resounded in his mind. "Where will I go, what will I do?" After some consideration, he decided to put more thought to the matter over the summer.
CHRYSALIS
1984
In late July, Bobby decided to go to the beach for another week, just to relax. Midway through the week, he realized that he had to make a decision fairly soon, so he began to analyze his possibilities. He could stay at home and just be lazy for the rest of his life; he could go to work in one of his father's factories; or he could begin college as he had planned. Being lazy was one thing that Bobby had not really enjoyed for any long periods of time, so he decided that he wouldn't do that. Working on a line in an assembly plant didn't really excite him either. The old joke was that he and Duncan just seemed to "have an aversion to work." and just as his mother said, he did have such an aversion. So that left college. He was already accepted and enrolled as his parents wanted, so why not go and try college life for a while? Each day, Bobby and Duncan drove to school as day students instead of living on campus. It was only about ten miles and they enjoyed each other's company. Finally, half way through their senior year, Duncan called to say that he was sick and wouldn't be going to school for the next two or three days. After finishing his homework for the next day. Bobby had a drink and went to bed early. He was overly tired for some reason that he couldn't figure out. Around four in the morning Bobby woke up violently in a cold sweat. For some reason that he couldn't explain, he jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom, and jumped into the shower. As the water woke him up fully, he tried to figure out why he was in the shower. He didn't know so he got out, dried off, and went back to bed. The minute that he put his head on the pillow he realized what had happened: he'd had another dream. Upon this, he tried to recollect his thoughts. He was driving to school alone, and the car broke down. As he lifted the hood to investigate, a car pulled up behind him. A girl stepped out and offered him a ride. There was only one problem in the dream: the girl's face was blurred so that he couldn't recognize her. At about that time, he drifted off to sleep and his clock rather rudely woke him three hours later. Bobby followed his same routine, and then left for classes. He made it to school without any problem. His day passed rather uneventfully, and he returned home for supper and a movie on television without even giving the dream a second thought. After the steak and a movie on the video cassette recorder, he finished his homework and went to bed. The next morning was bright and clear. He left for classes, and after about five miles the car died and slowly crept to a halt. After lifting the hood and examining the engine, he decided that there was nothing that he could do since he knew nothing about engines. He
Page 8
then decided to look around the hood toward the back of the car. Just as he had suspected, there was a car behind his and a girl stepping out. This was, however, no ordinary car and surely no ordinary girl. The car as a 1966 convertible black Mercedes that looked to be in perfect condition. The girl was around five feet eight inches tall with short brown hair and a smile that made him melt to his knees. "Hi, can I give you a ride up to class?" Bobby accepted and within minutes they were on their way. She introduced herself as Brandy Pembroke and said that she had seen him a few times on campus. The conversation then turned to the fact that they were both seniors and how good it would be to graduate. She couldn't believe it when he told her that he would be heading for graduate school the following fall. When the day was over, she drove him home and said goodbye as he thanked her once again. He went into the house. His car sitting on the side of the road was the last thing on his mind. This girl had just turned him around to the point that he didn't know what he was doing. Finally, he collected his thoughts and called the wrecker service to pick up his car. Then he would have to call Duncan and tell him what he had missed by not going to school that day. The next day Bobby saw her on campus and invited her to dinner, in appreciation for driving him to school. She accepted and Bobby could hardly wait until Friday night. The story of Bobby now changes to basically a story of Bobby and Brandy. After getting to know each other, they would spend quiet evenings in front of the fire in the winter, great times on the beach in the summer. It seemed that they no longer did things separate from each other. Time passed. After graduation, Brandy decided to take a job close to Bobby so that they could be together. Bobby got his masters and began teaching while working on his doctorate. After his first semester of teaching, the word got around the student body to take English under him. He wasn't easy, he just felt that class time should be informative, but fun. After much consideration, Bobby finally decided that he would ask Brandy to marry him. He planned a quiet dinner with candlelight, and after dinner he asked the question. After about ten
seconds of what seemed to be endless quiet, Brandy stood, walked over, gave him a hug and kiss, and accepted. After talking about a time and a place, Brandy decided that she would fly to Aorida and spend a few days with her parents, then bring them up to Virginia. In two weeks, Brandy left for Aorida, and, for the first time, Bobby was left alone. Duncan came over to discuss the reception, but the house seemed dull without Brandy there. Finally, the day came when Brandy and her parents would arrive. Duncan would pick them up at the airport and bring them to the house for dinner. Bobby decided to get a shower and get dressed before they got there. As Bobby stepped out of the shower, he felt a pressure on his back, forcing him to the floor, as the thought of an airplane crashing came exploding into his mind. Bobby woke up and was face down on the bathroom floor. He got up and looked at the clock. He had been out for two hours. He got dressed and went downstairs. A thick fog had blotted out any true light of the sun. He sat down in the silent, dead house. Duncan came running in, but Bobby waved to him to sit down. Bobby knew what had happened. Bobby's life now changes very drastically. His teaching style changed from comedies to tragedies. His following of loyal students fell off to a trickle. He now lived alone, with Duncan his only friend. Time passed until one day, around twelve years later, he saw Brandy's Mercedes in a dream. The dream appeared night after night for a month. And then it stopped. Bobby now scoffed at his dreams. After the initial shock of this one wore off, he scoffed at it as well. On a Sunday afternoon, he was standing alone on the front lawn when he heard a car in the driveway. As he walked toward the house, he was shocked as he saw that it was Brandy's car. He ran to sec the woman sitting in the car. He didn't recognize her. Then as she explained what was going on, he recognized her voice as Brandy's. She had survived. With plastic surgery, the scars had been covered. But she'd been too afraid to come back and face him. Bobby and Brandy were married two months later. They live together today in Southwest Virginia. I'd like to thank Bobby for letting me tell his story. My name is Duncan. 0
CHRYSALIS
-David Ricardo
..
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We love to play the guitar We are not the best by far We sing and drink beer But no one wants to hear 'Cause we're drunk when we play the guitar! -Barbara Jenkins
-Drawings by Robert Shaffer
CHR YSAL/S
1984
Page/2
For All I Know For all I know There is other spark To be spilled on other Fields of light In other galaxies of dream On other gazy Startossed nights. For all I know Lovers leap nine lives Over catspaw nebulae So far That a whisker's glimpse is the only clue As to who I am And where you are. For all I know There is swish enough In the asteroid belt Of a comet's tail To sling me out of my astral drift For another soaring Cosmic sail.
-Drawi11g by LuAm1e Egg/esto11
-Da11 Gribbi11
•
-Lynette DRvis CHRYSAJ./S
1984
Page /6
Les moments solitaires Sur son Epaule, le soleil du matin baisse, Et toutes ses pens€es tendent il la solitude, Elle ne veil qu'un visage, un regarde, un sourie, Combicn de temps attendra-t-elle-pour lui? Pour Jui, pour Jui, qu'est-ce qu'elle pcut faire pour lui? Sur ses cheveux, le clair de lune rayonne, Elle espere et d�sire qu'il y sera, Pourlant, les miles maintenant sont loin d'ici, Combien de temps pourra-t-elle attendre pour Jui? Pour lui, pour Jui, sont les jours seulement des annees. Sur Jes draps, la lueur d'une bougie danse, Elle 'etreint son oreiller et essaye de se debrouillez. Et pourtant, la rfalite ne peut pas etre evitle, Combien de temps a-t-elle r�e de lui?
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De lui, de lui, pense-t-il elle? Le temps le dira, mais maintenant est ... maintenant ... et une autre larme tombe. -Corri11e Bauer
-David Ricardo The La11e{v Momems Upon her sl,011/der falls tl,e momi11g s1111.IA11d all her tl,011ghts drift to 011/y 011e,/Slle sees llim but om:face. 011e look, 011e smile/How /011g will she wait for l,im? For l1im, for him, what ca11 she do for him? Upo11 lier hair, the 11100,iligllt glows,/She hopes a11d desires he will be tliere.lTill the miles 11011' are 11ot near, /How /011g c,m she wait for him? For him, for him, tire duys are but years. Upo11 the sheets the ca11dlelight durices.lShe hugs her pillow u11d tries to cope.lA11d yet, the reality camiot be escaped.lHow l011g has she bee11 dreaming of him? Of him. of him. is he t/1illki11g of her?/Time will tell, but now is .. .I 110w ••• a11d/u11otl1er teardrop falls.
Only One Day to Live God's ornamentation A daylily standing straight and tall, bends freely with the breeze. The sunlight reveals life. The picture of illuminate orange and burnt sienna is joined in the blends of contrast, day and night life and death. The air feels of tenderness as the soft breeze of summer flows over the petals. The honeybee collects its pollen. A butterfly emerges from its cocoon. Life at its potential. Fully grown, complete in stature, strong, vibrant, Beautiful ... Meaningful. Meaningful? The bee took its pollen. The passerby beheld its beauty. The child does not choose to pick this flower as a token. The day is drawing to a close. The colors of summer turn to fall. The breeze grows more brisk. The tender petals close upon each other as though devouring the flower's very essence. The bee passes by. The passerby observes the cocoon. Revelation. The beauty of the day comes to a close. The lily, too, sees its rest. Fulfillment. ¡ 'Observe the lillies of the field and how they grow, they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you?"
Matt. 6:28
-LuAnne Eggleston
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page 18
Le vent, mon camarade de jeu Avant la temp!te, le vent cesse Les oiseaux ne chantent pas Le monde est triste. Une fillette part de la maison. Ou est le camarade de jeu? II arrivera, attendez un pcu. Lentement les cines des arbres commencent a trembler Le vent (le camarade de jeu) arrive a point jouer. La fillette court avec Jes bras entendus Le vent caresse le visage et releve une boucle. Le vent se fail vigoureux, La fillette danse avec I'air joyeux ! Tout a coup, c'est une goutte d'eau Une autre et une autre. II pleut. Au revoir, mon ami, mon camarade de jeu.
-Sara Beck
Tlte Wind, My Pluymute Before the storm, the wi11d stops/The birds ,io /o,iger si,ig Tlte world is still.IA little girl leaves the house. Where is my playmate?/He will come. wait a little. Slowly t/1e treetops begi,i to sway The wind (the playmate) comes to p?ay. The little girl ru11s with urms outstretched The wind strokes her face a,id lifts a curl. The wind blows stronger.lTl,e little girl da,ices with joy! Sudde,ily. there is u drop of water A1101her and another. It's raining. Goodbye my friend, my playmate.
- Watercolor by Cathy Payne CHRYSALIS
1984
Page24
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My name is Anton and I am going to the nut house. I don't know why (ruff-ruff ruff-rufO Yesterday I ate my mother. Tomorrow I will be Michael. He is a big crocodile Tomorrow I am going to be terrible Because then I am going to eat my father! Watch out when you want to go for a walk Watch out when you want to rest Because the day after tomorrow I'm going to eat YOU!!!
-Melanie Rakes
Vaguely They fumble for clarity, Stumbling over and between one another. Sometimes shadowed with fear, Or often hazy through a cloud of truculence. Yet, occasionally overlaid with precision Reveling in their brilliance. Words ... strange objects of betrayal. -W. D. Thomto11
-Barry Colli11s
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page26
One Last Plea
by
JoAnn LaForce
awoke that morning to the steady beat of a drum somewhere in Iwhisked the distance and for a brief moment my thoughts and body were away as if on a magic carpet. There I was, right in the
middle of Main Street in my own home town, and the parade was about to begin. Children were playing and laughing, venders were selling balloons, and the fresh salty aroma of hot buttered popcorn lingered in the air. I could actually taste each savory crunchy nugget as it melted in my mouth, while I comfortably sat back and enjoyed the glory of my "Welcome Home Hero" parade. "Bang! Crash! The slamming of the rude fat jailor's stick against my cell door painfully brought me back to the reality of my situation. I was not comfortably back home receiving the welcome of a hero. No longer was I a carefree, poor-but-honest student on holiday in what I thought was the beautiful, serene and friendly little country of Borovia. I had been falsely accused of smuggling hashish and thrown into a wretched jail cell for a month, in which time I have lost considerable weight. And now I was faced with the possibility of life imprisonment if I didn't soon snap out of my self-pity and begin to formulate my defense. My mind scurried in several directions. Where would I begin? How would I communicate my thoughts to them? No one spoke English that I knew of at this time. It all seemed so hopeless, but I was going to try no matter how great the odds. My faith in God was strong and I knew the power of prayer. I also had a few courses in law neatly tucked under my belt from my sophomore year in college. Soon my defense begain to take new form. The day of my trial was quickly approaching. I prayed for strength and guidance that night before I was to appear in their Criminal Court. As we entered the room, a small, dark and musty smelling place, they removed the blindfold from my eyes. Everything was a blur, but I could see people staring at me. They became clearer, and I could see that they were officers. As I glanced around the room, I saw the faces of my fellow inmates, all hardened and corrupted criminals who had been in prison all their lives. Oh God, I didn't belong here •••• But they didn't know that, and it was my job now to convince them of my innocence. The skeleton-thin officer who sat in the middle immediately slammed his fist upon the table and spoke. "Have you anything to say on behalf of your defense young man?" I could not believe my ears. He actually spoke English. Could this be the officer that 1 had heard about, the one who had attended a California University? Was it possible that out of a whole regiment of officers, I had been fortunate enough to be tried in his court? I wasn't about to question my fortune any further. Surely God was with me! After a prayer of thanks and a deep breath, I began.
"Gentlemen of the Borovian Court, I stand before this coun today, very humble and very sad. My journey to your beautiful country was to be a sharing experience of my culture and yours, through mutual exchange of knowledge. I am young and naive in the matters of this criminal world which seems to be overpowering my country as well as yours. I realize that our countries have not always been on the best of terms; however, I assume that we are both firm in our convictions of honesty and integrity. My purpose was not to bring harm to your country, but to enjoy its beauty and to learn from its people. "I strongly believe that a plot has been devised and carried out to weaken the relationship between the United States and Borovia, and to my misfortune, I am the bait. My life imprisonment at this time would not only be harmful to me as an individual, but also to each of our countries and to world peace. It is evident that I am deteriorating because of lack of proper nourishment and the right to a speedy trial.These two facts alone are enough to release me in an American court. Each and every piece of evidence brought against me can be proven irrelevant if you will grant me the opportunity to retrace my steps before my arrest. "Being confined to a prison cell for a month and not being allowed to obtain an attorney has denied me the power to gather the evidence I need to prove my innocence. I realize that I am only one person and there are many against me, but I pray that your knowledge and integrity are capable of recognizing my innocence through all the false accusations brought against me. "Therefore, Gentlemen, I plead with you to take into consideration the international damage that will be done if I am imprisoned unjustly, and grant me the opportunity to prove my innocence. Is it worth one man's life to cause such an international dilemma? Your agreement to release me at this time could go down in history as the event that led to world peace. Think of the pride your countrymen could share, knowing that their government was responsible for preventing a third world war." Crash! The stick hit the cell door and awoke me unmercifully. No! It couldn't be. Had I been dreaming? Was it all over? For a moment I felt despair that I never though possible. Tears filled my eyes as I contemplated my destiny. Then the cell door opened and the jailer grabbed my arm. "You, come with me!" He led me through several doors and finally into a large courtroom. I had been dreaming.... I still had a chance, perhaps a second chance ... and more than ever, I was prepared! I bowed my head and for a brief moment thanked God for granting me ••• One 0 ��-
-JaAnn LaForce
-JoAnn LaForce
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page28
a
-David Ricardo
A Dark Day I my father Not Adam's way I venture to say It is to you I owe This final day. I look upon the ground I ask him, Forgive them. Blood runs down, down. My back turned All the world falls upon me I cry aloud in vain. I win this fight of the day No, not in vain I cry But for you, this is why I my father.
-David Dudley -Drawing by LuAnne Eggleston
Predatory Power A spider weaves a web A Dangerous web so high Strands glued to arms of steel Reach upward to the sky Impervious to kill It spins each day Impossible to sweep Miles of webs away Lichens are devoured Leaving a path so wide As it gnaws and nibbles Through the mountain side Cool breeze, ancient trees Mountains of mist and bloom Nature clothed in mystery Tangled in the loom Water blown by changing wind The poison spider drools Impurities it drops In all the rippling pools
-Diamo11d Boyd
-JoAnn LaForce
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page32
-Carl,y Pay11e
Pony Ride by Beverly Drake
T
he lunch table had been cleared and the leftover pot roast was pul in lhe ice box. There was nothing like a Sunday afternoon at lhe Jones's house. Thomas lay back with his newspaper\\ hile little Julia prepared herself for the usual Sunday ride. Thelma called to her daughter. "You ready, Julie?" "Yes. Momma." She replied. Thomas was sleeping while Thelma gazed at him. Thelma kissed him lightly on the forehead. Julie came bouncing in. "Daddy needs his rest today. baby. He works so hard for us you know," said Thelma. "That's all right. Momma. We'll let him sleep." Little Julie wanted to be with her father, but she knew how hard things were for him, getting a steady job and all. Thelma wrapped Julie up in her wornout jacket. They climbed into their old rusted car. The seats were torn, and the brakes made a funny squeaking noise. Julia didn't mind it. though. She hadn't had anything better before, so she thought that this was the way a car was supposed to be. They rode slowly down the dirt road. The air was crisp and the leaves on the trees were turning various shades of browns and yellows. Thelma tried to explain to Julie why the leaves turned colors. They sang their church hymns and talked. Thelma gazed at her lilt le girl. "Not a care in the world," she thought. Julie then spotted a sign that said, "Pony rides - ten cents."
"Oh. Momma. can we go and ride the pony?" asked Julie. Thelma saw the little girl's face gleam with excitement. •'All righ1, Julie." she said. She pulled the car onto the side of the road. They stood in line with other parents and their children. Julie's heart raced. "Can I give him the dime. Momma?" Thelma placed a dime into her little palm. Julie's fingers had began to turn numb from holding it so tightly when the man finally �aid. "Next!" He pulled the little boy off the saddle. spit out a wad of tobacco. and brushed the loose dust off his worn jeans. Julie raised her hand high ready to give him her dime. He paused only for a moment and said, "Sorry. we don't ride niggers." Julie stood still. She didn't know whether her heart was beating. She felt herself sucked into a black hole. The word "niggers" rang in her cars. This was the first time she had heard the word. but she knew ii was bad. She was set aside from all the other children by the word "niggers." Thelma knew what Julie was thinking as she saw her eyes grow full of tears. She couldn't hold it any more; she started to cry. Thelma picked her little girl up and held her tight. They walked back to the car. Thelma held Julie like an infant. She knew that this was the beginning of what Julie would go through the rest of her life. In between sobs, Julie said, "Why. Momma?" She clung to her mother hoping to hear the justification for the actions of that man. Thelma could find no answer except, "You're God's child baby. You're God's child." D
- Watercolor by Cathy Payne
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page34
-Jeff Craggett
Amulet Fat Buddha You fold your hands across your belly, satisfied at last, and remind me of another Lost to you but known to me (if only for a little while). Survey your world and Make a comment in Chinese with a laugh that curls your toes and tickles its way into my forbidden heart. Man-child you have twisted me Made me realize Love was hiding in my being. I wear you around my neck, jealous of all who touch you, My obsession.
-Marissa Burton
-Drawing by Marissa Burton
CHRYSALIS
1984
Page36
Table for One Nobody died. I just unsacked the lunch I'd wrapped for two. So what in hope I'd spread along a slice of rye would not seep through. If I can chew it all, forcing against the lump each plastic bite of stiffened swiss, perhaps I shall have learned to pack for one. Perhaps I shall not soon again dine hungry.
-Dan Gribbill
-Drawi11g by LuA1111e Egglesto11
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Sportasia As it drifts toward me, an eagle soaring high, I run to it, leap, then I begin to fly. We meet in midair and become as one, We land. run, and here begins the fun. -Ray Walden
-Davi,
-David Ricardo CHRYSALIS
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-Danilo Calilung
The staff of
Chrysalis sincere(v thanks Bill Saari Don Francis 0. Alan Wcltzien Jane Stogner Bev Thornton The Staff or Tlte Iron Blade
for their contrib111io11s oftime w1d effort.
Special thanks to Jim Flanagan of Copenhaver Publishers, Inc.
CHRYSALIS
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