Cypress Branches Literary Journal - Lamar State College-Orange
Cypress Branches Literary Journal - Lamar State College-Orange
Cypress Branches Literary Journal - Lamar State College-Orange
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The <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Journal</strong><br />
of <strong>Lamar</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>College</strong>-<strong>Orange</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>Orange</strong><br />
Spring 2011<br />
<strong>Lamar</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>College</strong>-<strong>Orange</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Orange</strong> is a member of the Texas <strong>State</strong> University System
<strong>Cypress</strong><br />
<strong>Branches</strong><br />
The <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Journal</strong><br />
of <strong>Lamar</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>College</strong>-<strong>Orange</strong><br />
Spring 2011<br />
LSC-O is a member of the Texas <strong>State</strong> University System
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1
Student Winners<br />
PROSE<br />
First Place<br />
Powering Down .............................................................................................. Ashley Dougherty<br />
Second Place<br />
Sun, Sand and Sisters..................................................................................... Kim Hollingsworth<br />
Third Place<br />
Just Beyond the Door .......................................................................................... Tiffany Seigrist<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Soothing the Soul of Lady Butterfly.............................................. Sandra Quaid Stark Latiolais<br />
POETRY<br />
First Place<br />
Seen Through a Lens .............................................................................Ariana Rain McCaughey<br />
Second Place<br />
This Too Shall Pass.............................................................................................. Tiffany Seigrist<br />
Third Place<br />
Portrait of Words.................................................................................................Kyle Thompson<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Slow Suicide ......................................................................................................... Carmen White<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
First Place<br />
Pikes Place Market................................................................................................Monica Goats<br />
Second Place<br />
Butterfly Kisses .............................................................................................. Stephanie Charrier<br />
Third Place<br />
The Thinker...............................................................................................Kimberley Marcontell<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Atypical Fascination ............................................................................................... Tifanie Parry<br />
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3<br />
ART: Two Dimensional<br />
First Place (Grand Prize: Cover Art)<br />
A Child’s Fantasy ....................................................................................................Blake LeLeux<br />
Second Place<br />
Four Beauties .........................................................................................................Monica Goats<br />
Third Place<br />
Butterfly .........................................................................................................Samantha Freeman<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Circles ..................................................................................................................... Luke Rhodes<br />
ART: Three Dimensional<br />
First Place<br />
Americans and Food ..................................................................................................James West<br />
Second Place<br />
Innocents Afield...................................................................................................... Amber Burks<br />
Third Place<br />
Whimsical Wings............................................................................................. Mikaela E. Brown<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Flower Vase ............................................................................................................ Danny Glenn<br />
Faculty/Staff Contributions<br />
Dr. Matt McClure....................................................................................................Cartoon Strip<br />
Jackie Spears........................................................................................................................... Art<br />
Carol Abshire ........................................................................................................ Photography<br />
Carolyn Mello .................................................................................................................. Poetry<br />
Andrew B. Preslar.............................................................................................................. Poetry<br />
Randy Ford......................................................................................................................... Poetry<br />
Lisette Hodges ................................................................................................................... Poetry<br />
Eric Swanson (Student Worker) ........................................................................................ Poetry<br />
Community Contributions<br />
Delle Bates.............................................................................................................................. Art<br />
Warren Griffin ........................................................................................................................ Art<br />
George Millsap........................................................................................................................ Art<br />
Kaycee Spears.................................................................................................................... Poetry<br />
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Table of Contents<br />
ART:<br />
Two-dimensional<br />
A Child’s Fantasy by Blake LeLeux................................................................................................9<br />
Four Beauties by Monica Goats ...................................................................................................10<br />
A Piece of the Heart by Samantha Freeman.................................................................................11<br />
Circles by Luke Rhodes..................................................................................................................12<br />
Three-dimensional<br />
Americans and Food by James West ...........................................................................................13<br />
Innocents Afield by Amber Burks .................................................................................................14<br />
Whimsical Wings by Mikaela E. Brown........................................................................................15<br />
Flower Vase by Danny Glenn........................................................................................................16<br />
PROSE<br />
Powering Down by Ashley Dougherty ..........................................................................................19<br />
Sun, Sand and Sisters by Kim Hollingsworth...............................................................................20<br />
Just Beyond the Door by Tiffany Seigrist ....................................................................................22<br />
Soothing the Soul of Lady Butterfly by Sandra Quaid Stark Latiolais .......................................24<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Pikes Place Market by Monica Goats...........................................................................................29<br />
Butterfly Kisses by Stephanie Charrier ........................................................................................30<br />
The Thinker by Kimberley Marcontell .........................................................................................31<br />
Atypical Fascination by Tifanie Parry ........................................................................................32<br />
POETRY<br />
Seen Through a Lens by Ariana Rain McCaughey ......................................................................35<br />
This Too Shall Pass by Tiffany Seigrist ........................................................................................37<br />
Portrait of Words by Kyle Thompson............................................................................................38<br />
Slow Suicide by Carmen White .....................................................................................................39<br />
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5<br />
FACULTY AND STAFF CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
<strong>Cypress</strong> Man VI (<strong>Cypress</strong> Man and <strong>Cypress</strong> Knee) by Dr. Matt McClure.............................. 43<br />
One Not So Very Special Day by Carolyn Mello..........................................................................47<br />
Little Town Saints by Randy Ford ..............................................................................................48<br />
Bed Check by Andrew B. Preslar..................................................................................................49<br />
Serenity on the Bayou by Jackie Spears .....................................................................................51<br />
Violets by Lisette Hodges...............................................................................................................52<br />
Glass Sunset by Carol Abshire......................................................................................................53<br />
My Army by Eric Swanson (Student Worker)................................................................................54<br />
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
San Francisco by Delle Bates .......................................................................................................57<br />
A Tranquil Wall by George Millsap .............................................................................................58<br />
Dare by Kaycee Spears .................................................................................................................59<br />
Dottie by Warren Griffin................................................................................................................60<br />
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Submitting Student Artists and Authors<br />
Amber Burks<br />
Angela Stevenson<br />
Ariana Rain McCaughey<br />
Amanda Potts<br />
Barry Procella<br />
Betti Boudreaux<br />
Blake LeLeux<br />
Brandi Collins<br />
Brittany Harmon<br />
Carmen White<br />
Carol Duhon<br />
Cassandra Diggles<br />
Chantel Robinson<br />
Cody Simmons<br />
Dana Schindler<br />
Danny Glenn<br />
Darylyn Pollard<br />
Elizabeth Smith<br />
Emilee Davis<br />
Immanuel Simien<br />
James West<br />
Joey Smith<br />
Josh Johnson<br />
Justin Lummus<br />
Karen Lebel<br />
Kimberley Marcontell<br />
Kimmie Hollingsworth<br />
Kirby VanWinkle<br />
Krissi Rickert<br />
Krystle Hawthorne<br />
Thank you for your submissions to this project!<br />
6<br />
Kyle Thompson<br />
Lee Grogan<br />
Liberty Dehm<br />
Luke Rhodes<br />
Maci Haley<br />
Melissa Bourque<br />
Mikaela E. Brown<br />
Monica Goats<br />
Noelle Jackson<br />
Patricia Barron<br />
Patty Woodall<br />
Priscilla Baldwin<br />
Robyn Boudreaux<br />
Samantha Freeman<br />
Samantha Smart<br />
Sandra Quaid Stark Latiolais<br />
Shelby Clements<br />
Shelby Maxwell<br />
Sheldon Booker<br />
Skylar Hansen<br />
Skylar Webster<br />
Stella Chapman<br />
Stephanie Charrier<br />
Stephanie Fasulo<br />
Tara Casey<br />
Taylor Kellum<br />
Tifanie Parry<br />
Tiffany Seigrist<br />
Tiffany Wolfford
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7
Art<br />
8
9<br />
Two-Dimensional Art – First Place<br />
A Child’s Fantasy<br />
Blake LeLeux<br />
9
11<br />
Two-Dimensional Art – Second Place<br />
Four Beauties<br />
Monica Goats<br />
11
Two-Dimensional Art – Third Place<br />
A Piece of the Heart<br />
Samantha Freeman<br />
12
13<br />
Two-Dimensional Art – Honorable Mention<br />
Circles<br />
Luke Rhodes<br />
13
Three-Dimensional Art – First Place<br />
Americans and Food<br />
James West<br />
14
15<br />
Three-Dimensional Art – Second Place<br />
Innocents Afield<br />
Amber Burks<br />
15
17<br />
Three-Dimensional Art – Third Place<br />
Whimsical Wings<br />
Mikaela E. Brown<br />
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Three-Dimensional Art – Honorable Mention<br />
Flower Vase<br />
Danny Glenn<br />
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19<br />
19
Prose<br />
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21<br />
Prose – First Place<br />
Powering Down<br />
Ashley Dougherty<br />
Here I am, a simple thing, a complex machine. See my buttons? My shiny keys? We talk for<br />
hours, even if I’m only indirect in the conversation. That’s fine; I’ll convey what you say. Over miles<br />
I’ll whisper your every outward notion. What’s that? I’m not your first? That’s all right, because you<br />
love me; I love you.<br />
It’s been a year. Do you love me? We go everywhere. I’m cradled in your hand or even in your<br />
purse. Yes, I’m so small. Aren’t I efficient? Do you like the custom wallpaper on my screen? Of course<br />
you do because you love me. You need me. You can’t leave the house without me. I love you too.<br />
Whisper with your thumbs, and we’ll send a message across seas.<br />
It’s been two years. Do you love me? I don’t feel so well… You have to treat me more gingerly.<br />
Don’t get angry, I’m sure the signal is just over there. Don’t leave me at home. Don’t you love me? Is it<br />
because I’m not holding my charge like I used to? I’m trying. Maybe a new battery will help. Is it<br />
because my screen has tiny scratches? It’s not my fault. Don’t you love me? I love you.<br />
Battery Low.<br />
Help me; I’m dying. I’m flashing and screaming. Can you see me? Can you hear me? Do you<br />
care? No, don’t put me on silent! I’m scared! Lying on the couch shaking with fear, I’m scared. Don’t<br />
let me die. Where’s the charger? Where have you gone? I need your help! Don’t let me die. I’m falling<br />
between the cushions. Help me! Hello? Don’t you love me?<br />
You can’t see me flashing, and honestly it doesn’t look like you’re looking for me anymore. I<br />
guess it’s because I’m missing two keys. It’s not my fault I’m not shiny. I miss you. Won’t you find me?<br />
I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die! The bell tolls, and you rush to the front door.<br />
I’m not over there. Please look between the cushions. Don’t you love me anymore?<br />
You receive a package. I don’t know what to make of it. You’re really excited. Is it a new<br />
charger? A new battery? You didn’t forget me after all! You make your way to the couch and sit down.<br />
My heart falls when I see someone else in your hand. He has a touch screen and a camera function. He<br />
slides open and greets you with fancy tunes. I can’t compete with that… but still….<br />
How could you?<br />
You read the book, and it isn’t long before you’re whispering to him instead of me. I feel our ties<br />
disconnect, and my bars disappear. As I search for signal, the agony is draining my power faster.<br />
Perhaps it’s better because I don’t know how much of this I can handle. I can’t stop trembling; my wires<br />
are quaking down to the core. My heart is broken. I can’t go on anymore. I wasn’t your first; I see I’m<br />
not your last. I guess I’ll die now. You won’t miss me. You don’t need me. You don’t love me.<br />
I love you.<br />
Powering down.<br />
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Prose – Second Place<br />
Sun, Sand and Sisters<br />
Kim Hollingsworth<br />
Tammie sat frozen in fear as she trembled on the seat next to her big sister as they streaked down<br />
the highway at breakneck speed. The wind was whistling through the open truck window, causing Kim’s<br />
blonde ponytail to thrash to and fro. She sat on her dad’s lap steering that old black and white Ford<br />
pickup truck. The salty sweat was trickling down the side of her sun-kissed face. As Kim turned that old<br />
pickup truck on two wheels off the hot asphalt road and onto that sandy covered road, they could smell<br />
the river as they approached; it smelled as though it had just rained. The faster they traveled down the<br />
bumpy, sandy road, the more abundantly the dust would boil behind them. When they came to a stop,<br />
the dust would converge into the cab of the truck, engulfing them as when a fire engulfs and consumes<br />
dried leaves in the fall. The dust would attach to the sweat around their necks and leave a beautiful dirt<br />
necklace.<br />
As Tammie and Kim jumped from the cab of the truck, their bare feet were thrust into the warm,<br />
gritty sand that weaved its way between their toes. They would race each other, with their hearts<br />
pounding, up those rough-cut lumber stairs, carefully trying to avoid getting one of those jagged<br />
splinters embedded into their feet. Once they reached the top of the stairs, they were gasping for air.<br />
When they entered the camp, they would go directly to the enormous bay window and be mesmerized<br />
by the sight of the river that moved swiftly downstream. They would turn to each other and instinctively<br />
lock their pinkie fingers together and shout, “Sisters and forever!” Watching the river was like looking<br />
at liquid glass, so shiny, sparkling and bright. They knew soon they would be gliding on that shiny,<br />
sparkling glass to play on the sugary white sandbar across the way.<br />
Their mom and dad would be busy attaching ropes to the empty milk jugs; the empty milk jugs<br />
would soon become the flotation devices that would help transport the sisters across the river. Their dad<br />
carefully connected the milk jugs to both of their arms; he would lead them down to the river’s edge.<br />
Their dad would slowly submerge beneath the cool crisp water. Their dad would urge them one by one<br />
to wade out into the water to meet him. Kim went first; as the cool crisp water crept up around her, she<br />
became suddenly aware that she was drifting gently in the current. They glided safely across the river to<br />
the sugary white hot sand that was waiting to scorch their bare feet. They would sit for hours, on that<br />
sandy river bank, building sand castles. Tammie would build a castle, and Kim would build one bigger.<br />
Then as their day would slowly draw to an end, the waves would rise and fall ever so discreetly, making<br />
their works of art disappear.<br />
Their stomachs would be growling so loudly it sounded as though African lions were caged up in<br />
there. Only one thing could quiet those lions, a red, ripe, juicy watermelon. The anticipation of cutting<br />
into that huge green watermelon made the sisters’ saliva spew forth like fountains. When the sharp<br />
glistening knife blade was inserted into that crisp green melon, it would begin splitting and cracking<br />
with not much effort from the knife. Tammie and Kim both knew that momentarily red, ripe, juicy<br />
goodness was going to explode. After they had devoured the flesh of the melon, they would carry the<br />
rinds to the burn pile located below the bay window where the security light would illuminate the stage<br />
for the nightly raccoon show.<br />
When the sun gave way and let the moon take over in the stillness of the night, the raccoon<br />
family would come for a visit. The huge fluffy one was Zelda, and the one with half its tail missing was<br />
Henry. Before they would begin eating, they would scurry down to the water’s edge with the liquid glass<br />
lapping at their tiny feet. They would ever so gently reach into the cool river water and wash their hands.<br />
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23<br />
They then followed one another to the burn pile to see what was on the buffet for the night. Once Zelda<br />
and Henry were through demolishing the watermelon, they would waddle back to the water’s edge and<br />
once again wash their small sticky hands.<br />
As bedtime neared each night, the sisters would sit on their dad’s lap and play a game called<br />
tickle torture. Tammie would take a long sun-bleached strand of Kim’s hair, and she would start by<br />
slowly dragging the hair across her dad’s forehead, then across his nose, then finally his lips. The object<br />
of the game was being able to will their bodies not to move or flinch, but it tickled so much that they<br />
laughed out loud. Whoever lasted the longest would be declared the winner. Their dad would strike a<br />
match and light the end of his cigarette; the end of that cigarette would glow like hot ambers ablaze in a<br />
fire. As he inhaled the chemically-laden smoke deep into his lungs, he would purse his lips together and<br />
softly thump his cheeks with his worn and weathered finger, and magically smoke rings would drift out<br />
of his mouth like clouds floating across the sky on a warm sunny day. As the two small girls shuffled<br />
their exhausted sun-scorched bodies across that gritty, sandy floor to climb into their dream machine, the<br />
secret name of their bed, their mother would remind them to dust the sand off from beneath their small<br />
tired feet. As the sisters lay their heads on the pillows, they wearily drifted off to sleep, exhausted from a<br />
day of castle building.<br />
There are days when the gray-haired older woman sits and daydreams of driving that old black<br />
and white Ford pickup truck to the river with her wide-eyed sister there beside her, dreams of floating<br />
across that liquid glass river with those empty milk jugs supporting her small frame, and of red<br />
watermelon juice trickling down her chin. Then she realizes that it would take a full size plastic milk<br />
truck to float her across that river, and the red watermelon juice would trickle down to one of her chins.<br />
Out of the corner of her wrinkled eyes, if she looks long enough and focuses, she can still see the dust<br />
trailing behind that old black and white Ford pickup truck.<br />
23
Prose – Third Place<br />
Just Beyond the Door<br />
Tiffany Seigrist<br />
“Well, Grandma and Grandpa are gone,” she said to herself as sadness filled her empty heart.<br />
Steering the car into the gravel drive, she could hear the crunch beneath the tires as she came to a slow,<br />
lingering stop in front of the old home place. As she gazed at the lonely door, she asked herself, “Do I<br />
really want to face the emptiness beyond that door?” Their deaths, only thirteen months apart, had taken<br />
away the happiness she often felt when coming here. A gray cloud of anguish descended into the car’s<br />
interior, as if a violent storm approached without warning. What lay beyond the door? The opening of<br />
the door always delivered smiling grandchildren soon overtaken by the aroma of a fresh jelly cake,<br />
warm and dripping with strawberry jelly. Now, what would she find?<br />
Reaching for the cold handle of the car door, she lifted her weary head and remembered the<br />
words spoken at the gravesides, “They are in a better place.” The thought of Heaven brought a smile to<br />
her saddened face and a reminder of why she was here. This empty house which always brought a<br />
pleasant greeting was now hers. She, the granddaughter, was given the opportunity to purchase the old<br />
home place. Getting out of the car, she smoothed her skirt, though no one would greet her, and headed<br />
toward the door. The flowers that lined the porch stood at attention like soldiers, releasing a vibrant<br />
smell to welcome the new owner. The blooms sparkled with dew, a direct result of the care of their<br />
creator, the Master Gardener. Seeing the thriving flowers glistening in the sun, she remembered, He also<br />
would care for her. He would guide her gently through this phase of life.<br />
Reaching for the brass key, tarnished from years of use, she eased it ever so slowly into the<br />
awaiting lock. With a shaking hand, she turned the key and listened for the metallic click. She paused,<br />
tensing like a frightened deer preparing to flee at another snap of a twig. The creaking of the porch<br />
brought her back to her intention. She turned the knob. The door swung open with a whine of the hinges,<br />
a familiar greeting, bringing an ache to her heart. The room, once filled with sweet smells, now had a<br />
damp, musty reminder; it was unoccupied. “No,” she murmured, “This is a bad dream.” It was a dream<br />
from which she would never wake.<br />
As she stood in the foyer looking into the family room, she could imagine Grandma cradling a<br />
sleepy baby, rocking to the rhythm of Jesus Loves Me. In the corner sat the old wood-burning stove; the<br />
black metal finish felt like ice to her touch. She remembered Grandpa sitting in front of the stove with a<br />
mug of hot cocoa as he listened to the crackling of the fire. “Stop torturing yourself!” was the cry from<br />
her aching heart as she turned and walked toward the hall. “I do not want to go home with painful<br />
memories, I want to find something to keep that will offer comfort in the years to come,” she said aloud,<br />
trying to calm her pounding heart. Finding all the rooms empty of their contents, she resumed her<br />
search. Her footsteps echoed, resounding off the bare walls once laced with curtains and smiling photos<br />
of happy families. As she walked slowly down the hall, the floor boards creaked under her weight; she<br />
stopped abruptly. The door to the hall closet was open slightly, inviting her to partake in the mysterious<br />
unknown. Her heart leapt with anticipation; could treasures lie beyond the weathered, paint-flaked door?<br />
Surely not; the house had been thoroughly cleaned. Tugging the door open slightly, like a shy child<br />
entering her first day of kindergarten, she peered into the damp, dark interior. A box peered over the<br />
edge of the highest shelf. Could its contents bring the smile her sad countenance desired? She raised her<br />
trembling hands, and she tightly grasped the sides of the cardboard treasure. Lowering it slowly, her<br />
thoughts raced back in time, wondering if it was grandma’s wrinkled hands that had laid this box to rest.<br />
She carried her treasure carefully to the kitchen counter like a three year old girl cradling her precious<br />
doll. The kitchen no longer smelled of cakes baking in the oven but of mildew from the open, empty,<br />
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25<br />
unplugged fridge. Ignoring the unpleasant odor, she unfolded the four cardboard flaps. Peering in, her<br />
eyes widened like saucers as she unveiled a photo album and several fragile Bibles.<br />
The aging album contained many pictures of her family in younger years, opening her mind to<br />
many precious memories. One photo revealed her and her deceased infant brother; it was like finding a<br />
chest of golden nuggets resting quietly at the bottom of the sea. The old family Bible, with tattered,<br />
golden-edged pages, contained a family tree dating back to the 1890’s. She reached into the box once<br />
more and curled her fingers around the brown, weathered leather of a small pocket-sized New<br />
Testament. She tenderly opened its yellowing pages. Her bewildered eyes fell on an inscription from<br />
The White House in Washington D.C. dated January 25, 1941. The letter said, “To the Armed Forces:<br />
As Commander-in-Chief I take pleasure in commanding the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the<br />
Armed Forces of the United <strong>State</strong>s. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins<br />
have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, council and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and<br />
now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul,” signed, “Very sincerely<br />
yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined the reverence her Grandpa must<br />
have felt as he clutched this book to his chest, uncertain of the number of days war would provide for<br />
him to read it.<br />
As she leaned gently against the kitchen counter surveying her priceless find, she then realized<br />
the house was not empty after all. Memories danced around the barren walls like children playing in a<br />
flower-covered field. With excitement in her step, she resumed her search for more treasure. Behind an<br />
open door, held precariously on a rusting nail, she discovered a tattered certificate from World War II<br />
that was presented to her grandfather on September 15, 1945. Her chest felt as though it would burst,<br />
stuffed to its capacity with memories from years gone by. Were these items unwanted by those who had<br />
searched before? Or had these treasures been hidden, to be found by the one who would cherish them, as<br />
a shivering beggar would cherish an unstylish coat?<br />
She gathered her belongings with tender, cautious hands, gently lowering them back into the<br />
cardboard treasure box. As she walked slowly across the creaking floor, her mind drifted back in time.<br />
She caught a whiff of fresh jelly cake, and she faintly heard Grandma laugh with pride as the family<br />
gathered around the table to indulge in a slice. She smiled slowly, sending reassurance to her face that it<br />
would laugh once again. This home where she would soon raise her family was brimming with<br />
memories, bouncing off the plaster like a rubber ball driven with force.<br />
Noticing the time, she made her way to the foyer, only this time her steps were lighter. As the<br />
whining door closed once again, she walked down the creaking steps to her car. It sat silently, patiently<br />
awaiting her arrival to engulf her in arms of comfort. She opened the car door, slowly releasing a sigh.<br />
She had arrived with a heart so empty, like a dry water pail sitting on the desert sand, only to drive away<br />
with a heart so full, like a deep, blue ocean never knowing thirst. Meandering down the road, she smiled<br />
as she caught a glimpse in the mirror of the weathered, flaking door standing proudly upon the<br />
threshold. It seemed to bulge outward, doing its best to contain the millions of memories pressing<br />
against its back. The memories that engulfed her mind like a swarm of bees around a honeycomb danced<br />
merrily around the room just beyond the door.<br />
25
Prose – Honorable Mention<br />
Soothing the Soul of Lady Butterfly<br />
Sandra Quaid Stark Latiolais<br />
While the Californian butterfly prepared for a summer vacation, his companion, Checkerspot,<br />
found him marking the months of April and May on his calendar with an attempt to find a new mate.<br />
Another repeated attempt to lure Achilles Moonshine into his life left him lonely again, costing him his<br />
very close friend, Checkerspot. However, the loss was easily replaced by lustful thoughts of future<br />
beauties and the Californian continued his mission. With an occasional fly by night Swallowtail and<br />
Red Admiral fluttering by, he dipped about and quickly fluttered away. He rubbed wings with Miss<br />
Peacock of Houston and flittered about Small Tortoiseshell, but boredom weighed him down like a ball<br />
and chain, so he took flight again unconsciously.<br />
Along the southern region of Texas, an occasional fly by night Swallowtail and Red Admiral<br />
fluttered passed until at last he decided to plant roots in a small town in called <strong>Orange</strong> Grove, where he<br />
found me, Lady Butterfly.<br />
I was enjoying a sunny day when I noticed my new neighbor, California, and his delightful<br />
garden. What an herbaceous nettle! The stinging perennial; the Northern European (and Asian native)<br />
could be seen throughout his dwelling place. His beautiful spring garden remained in blossom for the<br />
whole summer and grew opposite mine, just over the fence. Even with nature and all its heavenly<br />
beauty, had I known then what I know today, I would have continued my lonely days amongst my very<br />
own Texas Thistle and avoided his ill attempt to lure me into romance.<br />
It wasn’t long before curiosity consumed me, and I began to wonder if California’s herbaceous<br />
nettle and my kitchen wizardry combined would make a delicious creation of mouthwatering pesto. It<br />
began as a great conversation starter, and as we joined in, we came up with a secret recipe for a tasty<br />
polenta! As the evening approached, we found ourselves flirting in the kitchen with plans for dinner at<br />
my place.<br />
My best china held an astonishing overview of garnishment beneath a tantalizing flicker from a<br />
fresh pair of candles. Alluringly so, his wittiness and charm became the topping of a long anticipated<br />
desert. After dinner, I followed him back to his garden where we spent the remainder of the evening<br />
with our wings spread across an American Red Rose. We gazed at the stars, contemplated the purpose<br />
of the Big Dipper, and then fell asleep in a bed of red velvety petals.<br />
Days followed, and I began neglecting my usual chores. I forgot all about my outside interests<br />
and focused mainly upon California. Had I continued my writings and readings and familiar outings,<br />
perhaps I would have taken the necessary precautions a female should. Had I not read enough of my<br />
dear William Shakespeare to know how deadly love could be? Even Shakespeare’s character Hotspur<br />
guides us metaphorically, such as, “out of this nettle…we grasp this flower.” He warns us of the danger<br />
of the nettle and the grasp of the flower where our safety is concerned.<br />
As time progressed, I recognized my forthcoming tribulations, but not before frolicking<br />
recklessly about the whole countryside with him. Whether we were among friends or complete<br />
strangers, we projected our wings, as inseparable enigmas, and sometimes without a care in the world.<br />
However, his tongue was silver and gold, and he lured me as his trophy and possession! This ownership<br />
started with only slight verbal responses and grew physically as he sat me down to mold me to his<br />
26
27<br />
liking. Arrogance seeped from his soul. I recalled him saying, “Come drink the sweet nectar of<br />
Buddleia, such as the hummingbirds do, my lady.” While he whispered this into my ear, I became<br />
entranced with sweet romance. I may just as well have been swooned by Mozart and captured by<br />
Chopin’s composition. Weren’t they of the Romantic Era? Oh, but ne’er did this have anything to do<br />
with real love, now did it? Love? What is love? Had it been so long that I had forgotten? How was I<br />
to know the ulterior motive of this newcomer and predator while fluttering in such a delightful and<br />
fragrant breeze?<br />
I recall the day I sat in the presence of California, who was sipping his mint julep tea. I, Lady<br />
Butterfly, having craved a true love for so long, ignored the scarlet signs of betrayal. Denying all<br />
danger, I placed blame upon the season, believing mid-May’s heat invoked the volatile oils of the lilacs.<br />
Its lovely scent empowered and weakened me. I had forgotten that the Monarch’s methods for<br />
enticement included the fragrance of lilacs. I was oblivious to the sunflower, the pentas, the purple<br />
coneflower, and hint of sage as they worked in conjunction to intoxicate me as well. What a laced<br />
concoction! So, why didn’t mother-nature protect me? Couldn’t she have splashed me with a rain<br />
shower to release me from this spell?<br />
The worst of all things began to happen. I found unfamiliar wing dusts, while snooping about<br />
his home. It left me wondering; how many beautiful butterflies had he lured into his domain? A<br />
seductive voice haunted me in my dreams and left me nauseated. At first, I saw his back, then with<br />
wings wrapped around me. Passionately, he kissed me, but the dream would always end the same. He<br />
would turn around, and it was always someone else. Each dream started the same but ended with<br />
different lady butterflies of various species and origins. Some had luxurious wing spans, others<br />
frolicking short ones; yet all were unlike mine, with subtle and delicate hues. Nevertheless, I was sure<br />
the nectar he had shared with me was just as sweet as my rivals. Eventually it became reality, and I<br />
spotted the beauties in his garden all hours of the season. I began to loath them all, as if it were their<br />
faults. I fantasized myself flying over long enough to pluck one wing of his new possession, teaching<br />
her to swarm around my Californian lover. This would inhibit her from invading my territory!<br />
Courtship in a butterfly’s world can cause such ramifications for a Lady Butterfly, for she’s soon<br />
to become obsolete. It’s no wonder we find ourselves extinct. It is our own foolish heart! Common<br />
Blue, for example, has enough intelligence to seek the dogwood tree and not dilly around with the likes<br />
of California! Thank God for usage of the dogwood in scriptures. Most importantly, God forgives us all<br />
for our shortcomings. Oh, my wayward soul!<br />
My comrades sent me an invitation to attend a ladies’ retreat on the Pacific Island. “It would be<br />
so good for the soul,” my sister pleaded. “Did I not warn you of this poisonous Monarch? Once its prey<br />
becomes sick with his poison…well, it’s wise to avoid his enticing brilliance.” In frustration, she added,<br />
“Oh, please do open your eyes, my beloved sister!” then flew off, wailing.<br />
Alas, her loving efforts sent me back to my library, and I found myself enveloped within the<br />
pages of my favorite books, seeking answers to save myself. I skimmed through King Henry IV by<br />
Shakespeare. My eyes seemed to digitally photograph his words as I searched for clarity. “They love<br />
not poison that do poison need…Nor do I thee” he writes. Did it mean that I should not expect a thank<br />
you for someone else’s dirty work? Oh, and he was a dirty villain indeed! My loved ones were scolding<br />
me for this ludicrous obsession!<br />
Now, have I told you of the Monarch’s special relationship with the milkweed? An addict<br />
yearns for a fix, such as he, and the desire for milkweed! I concluded that somewhere in the larva state,<br />
or disruptive childhood past, perhaps California lived the streets, homeless and starving. Only God<br />
knows why, but in some estranged way he is never satisfied, nor is his belly full, until he digests all of<br />
the milkweed toxins his body can hold. Therefore, he anticipates his next victim of love and claims it<br />
27
his only defense for survival. I recalled the slow grin broadening across his chiseled and charming face,<br />
and how desperately I tried to save him with my undying love. All I found was his hollow heart.<br />
Back to my library, I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, then upon the shelf again for my<br />
dear William. This time I scanned Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. “In a man as well as herbs, grace<br />
and rude will, full soon the canker Death eats up the plant.” So, in every bad person, there’s a great<br />
person just waiting to get out and take charge? I returned the book back upon the shelf; moving<br />
forward, I reached down to Robert Louis Stevenson. I drank from his words, a soothing tonic, and<br />
spread my wings to understanding. According to Stevenson, he writes the perfect picture of a good man,<br />
Dr. Jekyll, who obviously cannot control his evil doings and then changes him into Mr. Hyde. I dropped<br />
the book and it sounded loudly upon the floor. In my silent room, I jumped. Taking a deep breath<br />
stabled me. With a subtle winged flutter and a count of ten, I exhaled then relaxed. Although weary<br />
with turmoil, I was unsatisfied and reached for my dear William again. I whisked through the pages of<br />
Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and read:<br />
“Like as, to make our appetite more keen,<br />
With eager compounds we our palate urge;<br />
As, to prevent our maladies unseen,<br />
We sicken to shun sickness when we purge”<br />
So swallow the bitter pill. Endure pain and its painful treatment to get well. On another rainy<br />
day, I, Lady Butterfly, found myself back in my library, sickly reverting back to unpleasant days gone<br />
passed with the charmer, i.e., monstrous Monarch. As I slammed another book shut, its dust particles<br />
danced above its yellowed pages, tickling my nostrils. I let out a loud sneeze which sent me backward,<br />
flying against the shelves from behind, thwarting me from my mission for closure. Dust particles, seen<br />
through a sudden beam of sunlight through my window, danced iridescently as minute ballerinas before<br />
my eyes. Playfully, the dusty devils landed in front of me, in plia. How entertaining this must have<br />
been to the fly upon the wall. I regained my composure and felt drawn to my window by the rays of the<br />
sun. I noticed a male butterfly with wings large and angelic as he dipped about picking flowers. My<br />
lashes blinked, clearing my vision, to obtain a closer look. When he discovered me watching, he moved<br />
closer toward my window. It was difficult to determine my heartbeat from the flutter of my wings and<br />
from delight. He fanned back at me, smiled, and held up the bouquet. While lifting my window, I saw a<br />
crucifix colorfully designed into his wing. I knew that he was a chosen one, and though I was tattered<br />
and torn, I knew it was time to rest. When the gentle breeze flew in, I felt his warm embrace. Then I,<br />
Lady Butterfly, folded and encompassed, found the soothing of my soul.<br />
28
29<br />
29
31<br />
Photography<br />
31
Photography – First Place<br />
Pikes Place Market<br />
Monica Goats<br />
32
33<br />
Photography – Second Place<br />
Butterfly Kisses<br />
Stephanie Charrier<br />
33
Photography – Third Place<br />
The Thinker<br />
Kimberley Marcontell<br />
34
35<br />
Photography – Honorable Mention<br />
Atypical Fascination<br />
Tifanie Parry<br />
35
37<br />
Poetry<br />
37
Poetry – First Place<br />
Seen through a Lens<br />
Ariana Rain McCaughey<br />
The more I fall in love with it<br />
The more I become lost<br />
With each snap of the shutter<br />
I fall deeper under its spell<br />
With each perfect timeless moment I capture<br />
I become trapped in an insane sort of love<br />
A love only seen through a photographer’s lens<br />
Each smile, each burst of laughter, each pondering moment<br />
Sends ecstasy soaring though my veins<br />
I can’t stop myself<br />
It’s like a drug that is constantly flowing through my system<br />
There is no known cure for this kind of disease<br />
There are no patches or special gums<br />
There is no “real” treatment<br />
Only things we can do to lessen the urges<br />
Which is strange, but the answer is to do it more often<br />
As much as you can<br />
It haunts me every day and sometimes into the night<br />
Driving down the familiar roads<br />
Places I have seen since the day I was born<br />
But now as I look upon them<br />
They are different<br />
So much more different<br />
I start to notice things that weren’t there before<br />
It’s the new way I see the world now<br />
Through a lens<br />
Noticing every minute detail about each location<br />
Thinking of the amazing things that could happen there<br />
The red and yellow of falling leaves in the mid day’s wind<br />
The rustic look of an ancient barn<br />
Then I wonder, would anyone notice if I were to trespass<br />
Would they care?<br />
Could I steal that perfect shot without getting myself into trouble?<br />
A picture is worth a thousand words<br />
And I want to own an infinite number of them<br />
38
39<br />
Now that is all I notice<br />
The world and all its beauty<br />
In an instant it could be gone<br />
That is why I must capture it<br />
That is what I must do<br />
I have to see this world<br />
I have to show others what I have…<br />
Seen through a lens<br />
39
Sitting quietly in the dim parlor,<br />
The lady gently wipes a tear.<br />
She gazes at the photo album,<br />
Recalling the passing years.<br />
Poetry – Second Place<br />
This Too Shall Pass<br />
Tiffany Seigrist<br />
The faces of her loved ones<br />
Stare back into her brimming eyes.<br />
She remembers the soft voice of mother,<br />
“My how swiftly the time does fly.”<br />
The smiling boy that she once cradled<br />
Has grown to be so strong and tall.<br />
He no longer needs her to guide him<br />
Or to catch him if he should fall.<br />
The little girl dressed like a princess,<br />
Is now a young man’s bride.<br />
She has a place to call her own<br />
With little children by her side.<br />
The dim parlor is engulfed with memories,<br />
The lady cradles the album to her chest.<br />
The photos of her precious parents<br />
Are the only mementos she has left.<br />
If she had only treasured<br />
Every passing day,<br />
Now realizing all too soon<br />
The moments pass away.<br />
So enjoy the time you have today,<br />
Make every moment last.<br />
A child‘s laughter, a parent’s concern,<br />
Cherish them, for soon this too shall pass.<br />
40
41<br />
These words are my paint.<br />
This page is my portrait.<br />
This pen is my brush;<br />
I stroke with delicacy.<br />
The creation of colors,<br />
So vivid and ornate;<br />
I am overwhelmed<br />
By the feeling of ecstasy.<br />
Each letter has a purpose.<br />
Each word has a meaning.<br />
I stand back and study<br />
The scene I’ve invented.<br />
The contents of my heart<br />
Displayed on this canvas<br />
And still it is perceived<br />
Different than intended.<br />
Poetry – Third Place<br />
Portrait of Words<br />
Kyle Thompson<br />
41
Poetry – Honorable Mention<br />
Slow Suicide<br />
Carmen White<br />
He buys a drink<br />
He smiles and laughs<br />
We sit across the bar from each other and laugh and smile<br />
He is a witness to a slow suicide<br />
We dance, drink, and laugh<br />
He says my smile excites him<br />
He struggles to look beyond my smile<br />
His eyes cannot see through the mask I wear in the form of a bottle<br />
He reaches out to touch my knee; my stomach begins to quiver<br />
We leave and spend the night together with promises never made<br />
He falls in love and buys me a ring<br />
Endless nights I dance, drink, and smile; I am the life of the party<br />
My friends all call to say they care; I lie and say I am fine<br />
Alone at home I wretch and moan; the poison is taking over...<br />
At last the show is over; I can rest<br />
A pretty smile that is no more as I lie dying on the floor<br />
At my service, my friends all gather to remember me and play my favorite tunes<br />
They cry and sing along and leave to have a drink to numb the pain inside<br />
They drink<br />
They smile<br />
They dance<br />
All witnesses to my slow suicide<br />
42
43<br />
Winners’ Biographies<br />
Amber Burks lives in Buna and is a 2010 graduate of Deweyville High School. The daughter of<br />
Lonnie and Debbie Burks, she is a dental hygiene major.<br />
Ariana Rain McCaughey is a resident of Starks, La. and a 2009 graduate of Starks High School. Her<br />
parents are Cass and Marianne McCaughey. She is majoring in psychology and plans to become a dental<br />
hygienist. Her hobbies include dancing, photography, writing and organizing.<br />
Ashley Dougherty is a dual-credit student at Silsbee High School.<br />
Blake LeLeux modestly describes himself as “basically awesome!” A 2010 graduate of Little <strong>Cypress</strong>-<br />
Mauriceville High School with career plans in anesthesiology, Blake was a National Honor Society<br />
member and middle school valedictorian. The son of Allen and Angela LeLeux, Blake enjoys sports,<br />
writing, and “just having fun.”<br />
Carmen White is majoring in upward mobility nursing with plans to continue work in the<br />
Hospice/Home Health field as a registered nurse. She is currently employed with Odyssey, Texas Home<br />
Health. Carmen is a 1983 graduate of Block High School and lives in <strong>Orange</strong>. The daughter of Marie<br />
and Joe Bickham, she is married to Carl White and the mother of Gabriel, 22; and Kaitlin, 19.<br />
Danny Glenn lives in Vidor and is a 1994 graduate of Vidor High School. He is the son of Danny and<br />
Elaine Glenn. A nursing major who plans to work in a long-term care center, Danny currently is<br />
employed at Clairmont Nursing Home. His hobbies are woodworking, playing golf, and watching<br />
baseball on television.<br />
James West was graduated from Little <strong>Cypress</strong>-Mauriceville High School in 2010 and lives in <strong>Orange</strong>.<br />
The son of Ramona Ward and Randy West, he plans to become a psychiatrist. His hobbies are making<br />
music, videogames and building things. James currently works at Dollar General.<br />
Kim Hollingsworth is a nursing major who plans to become a registered nurse. She is currently<br />
employed by Southern Home Health. A 1984 graduate of South Beauregard High School, Kim lives in<br />
Longville, La. She is the daughter of Betty and Willard Williams, wife of Bryan Hollingsworth, and<br />
mother of Tanya Hollingsworth, 21. Hunting, fishing, photography and cooking are her main interests.<br />
Kimberley Marcontell graduated summa cum laude from LSC-O with a certificate in nursing in 2006<br />
and is now majoring in upward mobility nursing. She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing and<br />
works at Baptist Hospital’s Beaumont campus. The daughter of Shirley Davis, Kimberley is married to<br />
Kevin Marcontell and is the mother of Raylan Marcontell, 22; Aaron Cordeau, 16; and Ashley<br />
Marcontell, 11. Traveling and reading are among her interests.<br />
43
Kyle Thompson is a previous <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong> poetry winner. A 2008 graduate of Elysian Fields High<br />
School, Kyle is majoring in business because he plans to own one. He plays guitar and works at Home<br />
Depot. His parents are Don and Toni Thompson.<br />
Luke Rhodes is a 2010 graduate of Bridge City High School who plans to major in sports medicine.<br />
Baseball, football and basketball are his hobbies. Luke is the son of Shane and Denna McCorkle and<br />
lives in <strong>Orange</strong>.<br />
Mikaela Brown, first place winner in the 3-D art category of <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong> last year, was<br />
home schooled and received her high school diploma in 2008. She lives in Kountze and is the daughter<br />
of John and Kristi Brown. A nursing major, Mikaela enjoys photography, guitar, piano, singing, hunting<br />
and fishing.<br />
Monica Goats lives in <strong>Orange</strong> and is a 2008 graduate of Vidor Christian Academy. Her parents are<br />
Ross and Erica Goats. She is majoring in liberal arts and interested in graphic design and architecture.<br />
“One day I want to have my own architectural business,” she said. Monica’s hobbies include oil<br />
painting, sewing and photography.<br />
Samantha Freeman is a previous award winner for her art. She won best in show in 2010 and a gold<br />
medal in 2008 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Program. The recipient of art<br />
scholarships in 2008 from both the Museum of Western Art Academy in Kerrville and the Glassell<br />
School of Art in Houston, Samantha is majoring in education and plans to teach art. Her other interests<br />
are reading and gaming. She is the daughter of Michael and Jo Lynn Davis.<br />
Sandra Quaid Stark Latiolais, a Phi Theta Kappa member, is a 1980 graduate of Bridge City High<br />
School who still lives in Bridge City. She is the daughter of Clara and John Fults, wife of Les Latiolais.<br />
and mother of Alayna, 26; Colton, 21; and Zach, 10. A career in teaching (early childhood through 12 th<br />
grade) lies ahead for Sandra, whose goals include earning a master’s degree in education. Sandra<br />
currently works at <strong>Lamar</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>College</strong>-<strong>Orange</strong>. She enjoys poetry, short stories, singing, guitar and<br />
acting. “Writing is my passion,” she said.<br />
Stephanie Charrier a 2002 <strong>Orange</strong>field High School graduate who lives in Lumberton, is a nursing<br />
major. She is the daughter of Violet Odom and Darrell Charrier.<br />
Tiffany Seigrist received a liberal arts degree at LSC-O in Fall 2010 and plans to become a teacher. A<br />
1991 graduate of Vidor Christian Academy, she still lives in Vidor. She and her husband Phil Seigrist<br />
are parents of Landon, 17; Brailee, 14; and Dallon, 11.<br />
Tifinie Parry is a self-employed photographer and business-management major with career plans in<br />
entrepreneurship. Winner of the Beaumont Camera Club’s 2009 art show, she enjoys spending time<br />
with family. She is the daughter of Kenny and Kathy Smith, wife of Jason Parry, and mother of<br />
Hannah, Katherine and Bryn. She was graduated from Buna High School in 1994 and lives in <strong>Orange</strong>.<br />
44
45<br />
Faculty<br />
and<br />
Staff<br />
45
47<br />
47
49<br />
49
51<br />
.<br />
One Not So Special Day<br />
Carolyn Mello – Faculty<br />
I’ve been to college and am full of knowledge<br />
Because we cannot permit our best days to ever be behind us.<br />
He did for others more than himself.<br />
One not so special day, our love was a friendship that caught fire.<br />
I didn’t believe I could live without him.<br />
One not so very special day, he died.<br />
His memory will always be with me.<br />
I want to remember his kindness.<br />
When I listen to my heart, I hear his laughter.<br />
Now everyday is winter; I have no spring.<br />
No more story about love.<br />
He has gone to his rest, at peace having done right by others. He fought the good fight,<br />
finished the race, and kept the faith, all that he was supposed to do.<br />
He inspired me with his love of music, and now his spirit is set free.<br />
No one told me of the sorrow.<br />
I’m what time and circumstance have made me.<br />
Now, every day is not so very special.<br />
51
Little Town Saints<br />
Randy Ford – Faculty<br />
I am knocked alone and disposed from artificial life,<br />
Going to the place where I am manageable,<br />
And I can hear background music.<br />
Put into a trance mix like lovers will<br />
Not kind in heart or head.<br />
Looking backwards and forwards<br />
Into that glooming not seeing who I was<br />
Or what I could be. (Just what I have become),<br />
Soft sound resonates and plays lightly as I stay<br />
And drain blood onto paper and dreams.<br />
Never to be given a song, holding back,<br />
Not being there. He had a song and<br />
It was your song too. Walking home<br />
Down straight roads appearing and<br />
Disappearing, making it home alone,<br />
Drawing parallels, looking back in night’s air,<br />
Seeing the little towns glow, Always<br />
Measuring metrically, spiritually, soulfully,<br />
My little town saint. Leaning back<br />
In my chair on casual Friday recalling<br />
Those fresh faces putting them into grey<br />
Matter where they belong and where<br />
They will remain until I see an image<br />
That brings to mind their hue, I see there is no sway,<br />
Just lurid hearts peeking over my shoulder,<br />
In the place with my little town saint.<br />
52
53<br />
Bed Check<br />
Andrew B. Preslar – Faculty<br />
for my Louis—<br />
with daring hope, and trepidation<br />
After the crest breaks and thunders down into the<br />
shadows in the corner across from the eastern window, moving like the<br />
treacherously deceptive drift of spume above a cold green current that would<br />
unaware draw me as so much krill into the insatiable maw of the leviathan, into a depth<br />
without light or air, should it, so disinterested, even consent to take me at all,<br />
before my eyes can open, I struggle against my body’s inertness,<br />
the sleep paralysis, and I feel the presence, the<br />
moisture of fear like the rank shingle, hissing, dully<br />
luminescent from the corruption breathing through to the surface,<br />
revealing nothing of the gasping shapes just beneath,<br />
smelling of dead and dying creatures consigned to the dank blackness that would accept<br />
all, the promise of drowning itself insubstantial as a fleck of grey foam<br />
floating on the press and heave<br />
I didn’t lose him—<br />
I strain not to inhale as I rise into awareness, strain to hear his<br />
breath over hers, under the<br />
tympani of my own rushing blood, while the next crest<br />
gathers itself into a shapeless mass of terror rising amorphous,<br />
a demagorgon to break upon me in a violent overthrow, or perhaps<br />
to simply resolve itself into a hiss within which I sink<br />
without resistance, again to depend from the inexorable wave of despair,<br />
relentless, grinding even the stones into grains of corrosive sand,<br />
ubiquitous and unarguable emblems of the final doom:<br />
but I will; it is inevitable, and she and I<br />
will be overborne by it, all our love and terror,<br />
all our hopes, the pitiful straws we clutched,<br />
thrown down and utterly annihilated by it . . .<br />
today I did not hold his hand (he is getting so big! last year’s teacher says through an artificial smile as<br />
she rushes past us through the bank of automatic glass doors into the parking lot) and only moments<br />
later in housewares I turned and he was gone,<br />
flitting, elusive, a flash of scarlet the color of his light-up shoes,<br />
the fading sound of his abrupt, self-pleased laughter<br />
sinking indistinguishable into the murmur of the demanding dead<br />
moving through the toxic bowels of the giant concrete and steel box,<br />
the voices of the women in my wife’s support network tinny and distant in my ears, their heads nodding<br />
sagely<br />
they usually start around eight;<br />
if he hasn’t done it yet, he will run—<br />
they all run<br />
I found him standing in front of a peg rack on which hung a silvery plasticized cap pistol<br />
newer than the one he surreptitiously slips under his Spiderman pillow every night;<br />
he was smiling his enigmatic smile, reveling in his moment of<br />
solitary pleasure into which no adult voices could penetrate.<br />
53
But<br />
tonight, right now, he is not lost but here, twisted across his tousled covers,<br />
a battered but still silvery plasticized cap pistol next to his smooth small hand,<br />
his beautiful face, delicate, startling, already the uneven but universally recognizable shape of<br />
resignation taking form beneath his translucent eyelids and the<br />
downturned corner of his mobile, slightly-parted, ever-silent lips,<br />
his uniqueness his curse and unspeakable grace.<br />
His bare chest still moves the Spiderman sheets,<br />
and I catch at my own bare chest, already cursing my<br />
failure to protect this shattered lamp, this hymn of love, my<br />
beautiful broken boy who yet lies here in oblivious safe sleep;<br />
only when I stretch out my bloodless hand to<br />
touch his sweat-damp hair can I breathe<br />
once, tearing one huge and ragged sob then afloat again, the despair<br />
almost manageable, hearing the words of the women again,<br />
they always run,<br />
thinking<br />
maybe . . . but not tonight.<br />
Not tonight.<br />
54
55<br />
Serenity on the Bayou<br />
Jackie Spears – Staff<br />
55
Clear and unobstructed<br />
Complex and fine<br />
Bare windows and deep red violets<br />
This is the place we make.<br />
Cool quiet white light<br />
With small things growing deeply<br />
Darkly<br />
Our place apart<br />
Our place together<br />
Bare windows and violets<br />
I have to leave for work. I love you L<br />
Violets<br />
Lisette Hodges – Faculty<br />
56
57<br />
Glass Sunset<br />
Carol Abshire – Staff<br />
57
My Army<br />
Eric Swanson – Student Worker<br />
All of my worries I place upon you.<br />
All of my life I devote to you.<br />
My entire heart belongs in your hands.<br />
Showers of your grace to which I still stand.<br />
Reflections of love I know to be true.<br />
But the magnitude presents no clue.<br />
My mind is fueled by speeding thoughts.<br />
Hole in my spirit a battle hard fought.<br />
You are my army, victorious one.<br />
Internal fullness due to faith, then I am done.<br />
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Community<br />
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If You’re Going to San Francisco<br />
Delle Bates – Community<br />
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A Tranquil Wall<br />
George Millsap – Community<br />
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Dance on the moon.<br />
Catch a falling star.<br />
Make a wish soon.<br />
Know who you are.<br />
Dream through courage.<br />
Be your dream.<br />
Don’t be discouraged.<br />
Inspiration is belief.<br />
Seek the sky.<br />
Feel the wind.<br />
Open your heart.<br />
Never give in.<br />
Dare<br />
Kaycee Spears – Community<br />
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Dottie<br />
Warren Griffin –Community<br />
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Judges<br />
Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Art<br />
Dr. Sarah Boehme, managing director of the Stark Museum of Art<br />
Photography<br />
Dr. Matt McClure, LSC-O professor of biology,<br />
whose cartoons have been published annually in <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong> and in tropical fish magazines<br />
and<br />
Carol Abshire, LSC-O Lab Tech III<br />
a frequent contributor of photography to <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong>, who has taken college photography courses<br />
Poetry<br />
Carolyn Mello, LSC-O instructor of English<br />
and annual contributor of poetry to <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong><br />
Prose<br />
Andrew B. Preslar, LSC-O instructor of English<br />
and annual contributor of poetry to <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong><br />
Proofreaders<br />
LSC-O students:<br />
Tiffany Stephenson-Rainey<br />
Kimberley Marcontell<br />
Although not all entries can be published, LSC-O appreciates the many contributions of talented<br />
students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Without your literary and artistic work, this<br />
journal would not be possible. Thanks also to Dr. Mike Shahan, president of LSC-O; Dr. Joe Kirkland,<br />
vice president for instruction; Bobbie Burgess, vice president for student services and auxiliary<br />
enterprises; Carla Dando, dean of instruction; Mary McCoy, director of the Ron E. Lewis Library; Mike<br />
McNair, chair of the arts and science division, and Stephanie Jones, administrative assistant III, for<br />
supporting <strong>Cypress</strong> <strong>Branches</strong>—and to Cindy Wyles for her outstanding job of printing the publication.<br />
--Dr. Arlene Turkel, faculty coordinator<br />
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<strong>Lamar</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>College</strong>-<strong>Orange</strong>, a member of the<br />
Texas <strong>State</strong> University System, and an equal opportunity<br />
affirmative action educational institution and employer.
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