Chrysalis Spring 1961
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NG 25¢ fi· ... .... • ... , J .., V , " ~ ..:. " .... • ,, . .... ' .. .. Chrysalis _-,._. ,'. -..... One cool autumn day, God looked down;-"lo!?ked way down, at the earth. From His lofty gold, gleaming throne God· saw the earth as a painter sees his palette-a bold yet subtle mass of colors: He smiled a bit and was about to turn His gaze away when He notieed a small, oh, so very small and colorless crawling caterpillar. God paused and a frown formed between His heavenly blue eyes. "That caterpillar," He murmured to Himself. "I've got to do something about that caterpillar." So God gathered up the caterpillar and gently wrapped h'm in a case of many threads. God said, "Now, you sta'y there until I figure out what to do with you." Time passed and the cold white winter came. God was very busy during the winter months, before He quite realized, Spring, the soft, pink time of the year, had arrived. After qod dispatched life to all the little seeds and set up the schedule for spring showers, He sat back and relaxed with a contented smile on His face. ' All during this time the tiny caterpillar had waited patiently in his God-woven home, hoping to be released. Now, God hadn't exactly forgotten the caterpillar, but He had pushed him to the back of His mind. One day when the ,apple trees were as pretty as strawberry ice cream, God again looked down; He saw the young, cotton-covered lambs in the meadows and tht!. swish of color marking the bird's flight. "Those birds are mighty pretty,'.' God said·, "but they move so fast. The babies and puppies can't play with them. I need something that moves more gently but is just as pretty."· It was then that God thought of the cater pillar He had stored away. God smiled, raised His hand, and out of the small brown case He. had made last fall fluttered a shining butterfly. God smiled agai11; ai{d said;. "That's good." • { .·. Winifred Waite, Editor of Volume 1, No. 1 Madison College Library 1,1¥Tisonburg, \liriinia EDITOR, Jean Fouke Volume 4 Number 1 SELECTION, Carol Almond, Larry Armentrout, Grace Cosby, Aida DeLuca, Lou Dillard, Maryanne Franzoni, Joanne May, Chrysalis Vickie McQuinn, Joan Neibert, Ronnie Taylor, Jerry Tyson, Judy Twyman THE MADISON COLLEGE LITERARY MAGAZINE ART, Carol Atkinson, Helen Caravas, Toni MacMaster, Elizabeth Meissner, Margaret Myers, Phyllis Pakurar, Grace Wyse PROSE COVER DESIGN, Helen Caravas Carol Almond, "Preacher" 4 Grace Mercer, " Delivery" 8 MAKEUP, Carol. ,,Almond Margaret Pence, "A Time to Every Purpose" 9 Margaret Pence, "Oak Leaf" 12 ADVISERS, Martha Fodaski, David Diller, Helen' Swink Molly Hall, "The Egotist" 16 Midge McClellan, "The Lilac Room" . ... .... ... .. 18 CHRYSALIS is sponsored by Madison Jean Fouke, "Laughter" 19 College's Criterion Club. The staff has tried to select material solely on the Janet Prisaznick, "Back Fence Patriots" 22 basis of literary merit. Ideas and atti Tina Hillquist, " Catalyst" 26 tudes expressed do not necessarily rep Molly Hall, "Justice" 29 resent those of the staff or of Madison College. Carol Almond, "The Hike" 30 POETRY We are pleased to announce with this Midge McClellan 2, 3, 20 issue the winners of Criterion Club's Sandra Hepp 6 1961 Creative Writing Contest. Jerry Tyson 7 First place winner of the Rinehart Helen Caravas . 10 Award is Carol Almond for her story Barbara Rixey 8, 17 "Preacher" (p,. 4). Tying for second place were Pat Botkin for her poem Pattie Lou Jernigan 8 "Birthplace Visit" (p. 27) and Mar Bonnie Feather 11, 19, 23 garet Pence for her story "Oak Leaf" Carol Almond 15, 25, 28 (p. 12). Maryanne Franzoni 21 , 23, 32 Honorable mention goes to Molly Hall Grace Mercer 22 for her story "The Egotist" (p. 16) and Tina Hillquist . 17 to Tina Hillquist for her story "Cat Barbara .. Lawso~n 25 alyst" (p. 26) Molly fiall , .... .. .... .. 27 We wish to thank Mr. Fodaski, Miss Pat Botkin . ..... .. .... .. •... 27, 28 Grun, Mr. Leigh, Mr. Locke and Mr. Wood for acting as judges. : . ~ i) ..., : ,:-. :• .•.. ~i .~r... '."w..,._ THE DEATH OF MOBY DICK The surface wreathed into a whitish foam As whale ascending spouted forth his stream And stood upon a titan tail-alone. There was no garish sun to purge and gleam Upon his base and wrinkled brow that day SEA SOUNDS When sea regurged the treasures it devoured Ebb and flow And showered down its vermin on the bay; like season's rush retreat and throb, When atoms fell and all the green life soured, its minstrel roar A stagnant yellowed stain of weed and shell and gush of blood On shores where whale boat bones stood bleached and dr'y; within a snailshell, summer's wreck When stars went out, and black gave birth to hell: upon the seeded shore. He spit his red defiance to the sky- Sigh of gulls' wings Chaotic waves then licked his gore and hurled eternally renewing On rock the wreckage of a maddened world. inconstancy of pattern and all things by Midge McClellan . that change: Crabbed feet their rush and flux far inland-reach erosion like sorrow tracks on a lost beach sifting slow j__,. like sounds of season's rush, its ebb and flow. - ----,-,:,_ -- - ::7"=-- by Midge McClellan (2) REFLECTION IN THE WATER Alas, then, she is drown'd-Hamlet ., ~ - When the evening dark as smoke -. ft',,·- Held star and moon suspended And waves their whispers turned To kissing, by the water's edge Shown the opal of her face Waiting like a silent fern That closes when light thins out And goes ... In water there is recognition All the means of linkage. She wished her life candid As a meadow stream Long, smoother, silver Tying together the maze Of lakes ... The reflection wavered- As though it could not hold That woman weighing time And weighed with child. Her last step Into currents of the world Where time cannot endure Was like cracking So much thin glass . .. by Midge McClellan (3) PREACHER by Carol Almond A steady drizzle pelted against prompt reply. pay. This time they simply came the aluminum roof of the garage The man laughed silently, only outside and told Toby to go in in a hypnotizing tattoo, pattering the jerky movement of his heavy and "knock 'er around a bit." away the minutes that dragged shoulders betraying his amuse Toby hesitated; the rest had been like hours. A young boy stood ment, "So yer good at heistin' an bad enough, but hit a woman? leaning against a wall, staring in ya've got spunk too." He wasn't sure he could do it. tenltly at the large authoritative "C'mon, Preacher. Get the lead house which loomed out of the "I never stole nuthin' in my life. off them nice white shoes and go shadows like some forbidding You lemme alone." Toby tried in there." The men glared at him monster with one eye shining to pass but a burly arm held him with a threatening half-smile. brightly through the fog. The back. 'The man threw back his Toby knew his actions would be boy was young~only nineteen head and laughed loudly. reported. He went into the room -but his mouth was set in a thin where the thin young woman firm line tha,t belied his age. Be "Be damned if you ain't got a stood defiantly, almost proudly. cause the dark night hid his fea sense a humor too." Then his For one terrible moment he stood tures, his black hair and steady face darkened suddenly. "Listen, there staring at her, wanting to blue eye·s melted into the hollow boy. Don't give me a bunch a run, but knowing that he couldn't lines' of his cheekbones1, giving lip. I've been watchin' you for He couldn't remember what he him a lean, hungry look. He was some time now. I know what had said to her or her reply. He dressed in slacks and a grey jack you do, where you live, and how only remembered that she picked et that opened to reveal an off you operate. In fact, there ain't up a book and threw it at him, color shirt. One hand was shoved nuthin' I don't know about you. hitting him on the shoulder. It into his pants pocket. With the The fact is, I've decided to give didn't hurt, but it gave him an e•x other he nervously reached up you a job, see? Somethin' a lot cuse to get mad. While he was and pulled at his ear. His dirty bettern' this ten cent racket mad it didn't seem so bad-hitting face and clothing contrasted you're pushin' now." a woman-but now all he could sharply with a pair of shocking That was it, all of it-his brief think about was the look on her white shoes which looked as if but binding introduction into The face when he hit her and the soft the,y belonged to the summer Outfit. He · hadn't always liked feeling of her jaw as he slapped dress of a small parson. They the jobs they'd assigned to him, her. When he hit' her, her mouth were polished to an extreme but at least he'd eaten regularly began to bleed, smearing his hand. which almost called up the ad and had a place to sleep. That Then he stopped, dropped his jective sterile. For the last three was more than he'd had since• he hands to his side and grasped for of his nineteen years, Toby had was put out on his own at four breath like a swimmer after a worn white oxfords.