THE SOFT SHOE

Waiting in suspense.
Bend over.
The master in dense anger strikes -
Both hot and cold.
I loathe the boys outside.

Gordon Cameron, P6A.

ABOUT GIRLS

Fair hair, not dark.
Blue eyes, not black.
Hair in curls -
That's what I like about girls.
I don't like girls fat, I don't like girls who chat, I like girls that live and work So I can laze about.
I'd like a stubby baby
Just like a fatman's belly.
It would have a nice warm cradle.
Just like a pancake ladle.

George Gillespie, P6A.

THE SEA

The sea is a magical power, taking and giving life. Its history is lost in myths and legends, but today it catches the eye of the old and wise like a sheet of translucent glass, and its sound mocks our ears like the cry of a thousand gulls. But some men live on the sea, catching fish and lobsters. They are tough, and show no sympathy to their catch. I cannot even bear to see a fish bashed against a rock to kill it. But I still feel the excitement of the catch. The sea is a land to the fish. The sea, at twilight, is a sheet of liquid fire.

The sea, the sea
It puzzles me.
I sit down and wonder what can it be
It might be a galaxy or sky full of stars.
It might be a road avast with cars.
Or a prison, and covered in big, strong bars.

It might be a universe full of life
It might be a battle full of bloodstained strife -
Or a horror - carrying its own gun and knife.

But I don't know:
I'll never know.

Timothy Hawkins, P7A.

THE WANTED SIXPENCE
It was a lovely day as I was walking along the crispy sand and stone on the sea-side of Gosport. Then, I spotted the amusement house. I walked up to it eagerly: I just couldn't resist the temptation of spending the one and two-pence I had on me on the amusement house. I dashed in with the speed of a leopard and the first machine I saw was "The Guillotine". What was it? All I saw was a glass frame with a brick wall including two closed doors. I injected the penny in the slot with hardly an inkling of what was going to happen. Suddenly the doors opened and there stood a melancholy, sober looking man about to be chopped by a guillotine. Even though they were puppets, it was a horrible sight, and as soon as the doors closed I turned away.
Later I was still savagely spending the rest of my one and two-pence until I had nothing. "Well," I thought, "I've had a good time and ..." but suddenly an object struck me, I glanced at it with a general's eye thinking, "Sixpence for three shots. Oh I If only I had sixpence, just sixpence."
I stood there for a moment or two searching for any sixpence in sight. Then suddenly I saw a silvery glow lying on the dusty floor, further away from me. I ran to it with high spirits and picked . . . picked up a bit of dust. "Oh ! It's one of those indecent gimmics," I thought, half mad.
I was in the midst of gloom, waiting there, bored. I wanted a sixpence, just sixpence. I said that continually while I dropped my hands into my stuffed pockets when suddenly I remained quiet.
Silence reigned for one minute as I drew out a ... a sixpence. "Oh ! Fool me, I had a sixpence all the time," and with that I rushed into the "target stall".
Sooner or later all you heard were three "Pops" and I stepped out of the amusement house, pleased and satisfied.

Early Days

It was 9th July, 1909, when my Dad took me to Dunblane. It's little I can remember now of that far-off day. Having tea together at a little cafe round the corner from the Stirling Arms. George Stirrat, I seem to remember, was the boy gloomily dealing with his tea at another table. Then being escorted - with no Dad, but with seven or eight other boys - to the School under Drummie Hetherington. All over the road we were, in most unmilitary fashion, for there was no need to bother about traffic in those days, even though it was then a main through route. I suppose there had been a picking-up point for new arrivals in the town somewhere, and I wonder now if my Dad - as casual in