Sauerteig, Margaret

Digital Commons @ Butler University

MANUSCRIPTS 45returned that fateful morning from swimming class to find mypurse, clothes, and locker combination locked in a locker thatcouldn't be opened without the knowledge of the combination. Thiswasn't in my head, for I worked the lock for fifteen minutes tryingto recall it. I asked the matron what I could do. She said I wouldhave to wait until a locksmith came to saw off the lock. After manylong minutes of searching, she found our class cards, which as yethad not been alphabetized. There were about one-hundred of themtogether, and mine was sixth from the bottom. After hunting forfive minutes, the perturbed matron finally located my class carel.Fortunately, my combination was written on the back of the blank.I inconvenience so many people when I am thoughtless, forgetful,and immature. I cannot blame my friends, teachers, parents, orschool for my ridiculous plights. There is only one person whomI can involve in this "vicious circle"-myse1f.*Boys Are for BaseballMargaret SauerteigFROM the age of five until twelve there was nothing in the wholeworld that I wanted more than to be a boy.I lived, breathed, and loved everything a boy could do. I wasforever tagging behind my brother and playing with his gang when-ever I could. I liked it best when they played at the baseball lot;because they'd let me play if they were undermanned.In my twelfth year I still preferred hikes to parties and baseballto books. I suppose I would have retained my longing if it hadn'tbeen for Tom.Tom was a tall, gangly boy with black hair and dark eyes, andcaptain of the school safety boys. He was the best batter on theschool baseball team too. He always had the highest batting average.Even after the new boy came, Tom still was "best batter."He ask me if I would like to go to a wienie roast his church washaving. I was thrilled, for Tom was the most popular boy in schooland he had actually asked me for a date, a word very unfamiliar tome. The girls that I knew all had had dates and I knew that thiswould really impress them.My mother had given me permission to go and I was to bepicked up at seven o'clock. Of all things, Eileen, the girl I walkedto school with, had decided that she was going to the "roast" withus. Imagine, Eileen was actually going to be along on my first date!That night I wore my new jeans. Mother put lip coloring on mylips and powder on 111ynose. I felt just awful ancl I got hot andmy hands were sticky.46 MANUSCRIPTSFinally the doorbell rang and mother answered it. I tried toassume an air of nonchalance, but I got mixed up when I introducedTom to my parents ancl Eileen giggled and laughed at me.The three of us left my house and Tom and I didn't exchangewords for quite a while.When we finally arrived at the park, we couldn't lose Eileen.The three of us did everything together that night. It was perfectlyterrible.It came time to leave with Eileen on one side of Tom and me onthe other.As we approached the door, I told Tom that I had hac! a nicetime and ran into the house. From the window I could see Eileenand Tom walking on up the street until they turned the corner.* *EARTHRobert PettyIOut of the tongueless mouth of space,Deep from the voiceless throat of time,There where the naked ethers climb:Spiritless to swiftening pace,Passionless to dread embrace,Game creation's pantomime-Flaming breath, yet void of rhyme,Cooled before a watching face.Cooled to basalt ocean basins,Cooled to granite's twisted land,Came the darkened rain for days, inTorrents, till the rivers ran;Then from out the misted heavens,A shadow past-life began.nOut of the vapors came a being,An element to earth unknown,Moved in waters, covered stone,Crept fr0111darkness without seeing,Toward the sunlight, growing, seeding,Until the granite hills were sown,With innate gropings not their own,Living, dying and succeeding.

Boys are for Baseball

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Boys are for Baseball

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