Et cetera : The Braille School Corner – Article 2

These articles are from the May 1942 edition of the “School Journal” and share the first references to their life since the beginning of World War II.

Defense Stamp Contest

The total stamp sale at the Iowa School for the Blind comes to the grand total of $156.50 of which $114.50 was purchased by students only.

The Twelfth Grade was by far the winner with $40.40 credited to the members in their class.  The Fourth Grade comes next with $12.00.  The Tenth Grade lines up in third with $9.60.

The total number of students to participate in the School Stamp Buying Contest is 82 members.

The following is a tribute to Senior Richard Peters who died.

A Tribute to Our Unseen Class Member

Richard Peters, one of the brightest students of the Class of ’42, is the unseen member.  Our class misses him still.  We all have places in our hearts for him.  We are sure anyone else who knew Richard feels the same way.  Perhaps some of you have read or heard of his poetry.  We would like to print “The Dying Soldier”, written by Richard, as a tribute to him.

The Dying Soldier

By Richard Peters

Upon a stretch of barren land

Beneath the sun’s bright scorching rays

Where death rules with a hardened hand,

A wounded soldier lays.

 

His friends are scattered far and near,

Alone he writhes and groans in pain;

The sounds of battle reach his ear

And fall upon his tortured brain.

 

 A lark soars bravely in the sky,

Singing a song of love and cheer;

A bombing plane flies swiftly by

Spreading death’s message far and near.

 

The soldier’s thoughts now turn to home;

He dreams about his sweetheart true,

Of how with her he used to roam

Beneath the skies of azure blue.

 

What of his mother when he’s gone?

Who’ll help her happiness to find?

Such thoughts keep rushing on and on

Within the soldiers troubled mind.

 

The thoughts from out his mind now fade;

His hand is cold and stiff and still;

Grim death another gain has made;

Another man had crossed the hill.

 

God, take this hero of our land,

When he draws nigh Thy courts above;

Escort him to Thy mansions grand;

And comfort him with joy and love

Wisdom or Witticism - Dr. Charles Mayo once said, “You can get along all your life with a wooden leg but you can’t get along with a wooden head.  It’s the brain that counts.”