TALENTED POET AND MUSICIAN

of the female foetus about to die

please father, please mother, let me live

I'm a gift from God above.

All I want is your sweet love

Let me be born,I have much love to give.

I will be a quiet child

Unlike the boys - I won't run wild.

I'll help you do the housework every day.

My school grades will be good

and like a good daughter should

I'll be obedient when you call me home from play.

I'll grow up and make you proud,

I will stand out in a crowd

'cause I'm different from men in every way.

With good character I'll stand tall

Avoid drugs and alchol

And look after you when you're old and grey.

So spare me the doctor's knife,

Don't let them take my life

Is it my 'dowry' that's causing you concern?

I'll find a husband who will say

'I don't want a dowry' anyway

We'll be content with what we both can earn

The world is changing every day.

This dowry tradition may not stay

What was once considered right may then be wrong.

When I'm of marriagable age

I will earn a decent wage

and the dowry system may probably be long gone.

So mother don't hesitate

To carry my unborn weight.

In nine months you will hold me in your arms

I know I'll be a great delight.

I will love you with all lmy might

And the whole family will succumb to all my charms.

Our class of '73 has spread its tentacles far and wide.

Spanning the continents and oceans conquering the world on every side.

Only the North Pole and the South Pole

Have been spared our relentless advance.

One day Tody or Bakir will open a club there

And we'll have a Barnes School Dance.

Soon we'll meet again

For some cream roll and some tea.

AH! THE JOY OF BEING PART OF

THE CLASS OF '73

DARE TO DREAM

THE WORLD IS INDEBTED TO MANY PEOPLE FINE EXAMPLES OF THE HUMAN RACE WRITERS , RULERS , INVENTORS , AND STATESMEN , WHO MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE MARTYRS , MISSIONARIES , SOCIAL WORKERS AND SAINTS ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO DID EXTRAORDINARY DEEDS GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR CAUSE AND COUNTRY BLAZED THE TRAILS AND PLANTED THE SEEDS THEY' RE TOO MANY TO BE MENTIONED HERE YET IRONICALLY THEY ARE BUT A FEW A TINY FRACTION OF THE TEEMING MILLIONS THAT INHABIT THE EARTH LIKE WE DO WHAT MOTIVATED THEM TO DO THESE GREAT DEEDS SO UNSELFISH AND SO TRUE WHAT MADE THEM RISE HIGH ABOVE OTHER HUMANS LIKE ME AND YOU PERHAPS WE SHOULD TAKE AN EXAMPLE A LEAF FROM ONE OF THEIR BOOKS BLAZE FORTH A TRAIL AND STRIVE NOT TO FAIL WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD STOPS AND LOOKS AYE , BUT THAT IS THY DUTY NO MATTER HOW HARD IT MAY SEEM TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IS POSSIBLE IF WE DARE TO DREAM . ERNEST JOSEPH FLANAGAN