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RENAISSANCE
the writers' and artists' magazine
of
WAYNE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Volume 10, May 1994
This tenth anniversary issue of
RENAISSANCE
is dedicated to the memory of
two women whose generous hearts and questing spirits
have left a legacy to the liberal arts atWayne Community College.
Eleanor Powell
First English Instructor and First Liberal Arts Chairperson
June Wharton
First Foreign Language Instructor and Advisor and Friend to Foreign Students
SGA Cash Awards for Student Contributors
Cover Design ~ James Wiggs
Art ~ Ukris Wongse-ont
Poetry ~ Ginger Shelton and Patrick Humphries
Short Story ~ Patrick Humphries
Essay ~ Crystal Wade and Rebecca Ross
Goldsboro Writers' Group Award for Most Promising Writer
Paul Nicholas Duke
Editors
Rosalyn Lomax Kathryn Spicer Marian Westbrook
Nopartofthismagazinemay bereproducedwithoutpermission.
Copyright 1994 Renaissance
Viewsexpressedarethoseofthe individualcontributorsanddonotnecessarily reflect the
views oftheeditorsorofthis institution.
Acknowledgments
Liberal Arts Faculty
The Foundation ofWayne Community College
Student Government Association
Goldsboro Writers' Group
Patricia Turlington's Basic Drawing Students
Lynell King
MediaDepartment
Grace Lutz, Betty Wellons
Ruth Bailey, Maijorie Murphy
Hilda Battle, Ron Lane
and special thanks to student editorial assistant
Paul Duke
TABLE OF CONTENTS
To A Lady Marian Westbrook
1
Ele^anorand June 1 The Editors
Regrets 2 Ginger Shelton
Doorway 2 Lisa Qine
The Field 3 Patrick Humphries
The Button Vest 4 Crystal Wade
SuperNova 5 James Wiggs
Fractured Peaceby Piece 6 Carla Futrell
Ready orNot 6 Greg Keeter
Teacup 7 Ukris Wongse-ont
Love: A Sonnet 7 Rosalyn Lomax
Whisper 8 Patrick Humphries
Iris 8 Keiko Genka
Pirouettes 8 Paul Duke
Waves ofFierce Beauty 9 Paul Duke
Swirling 9 Lisa Qine
Unforgettable Place 10 Julian Pitt
My Dirty Shoe 10 James Wiggs
Seat 16 10 Roni Williams
The House in Woodstock 11 Rebecca Ross
VIP's Only 12 Patrick Humphries
Ode to the "Beauty" 13 GingerShelton
Gazing 13 LisaCline
And IronMakes Steel 14 William A. Mulligan
Joe's Almanac 15 KempTeague
My Soul is at Peace 16 Melody WilHams
Dance ofthe WiUow Leaves 17 Paul Duke
Fallen Leaves 17 Tammi Johnson
Autumn Leaf 17 Tony Joyce
Subconscious Communication 18 J. J. Hinnant
Battle Your Dreams 18 Smithie Denning
Meeting ofthe Minds 19 James Wiggs
Decision 19 Carta Futrell
Turmoil and Regression 20 Sue Eason
Confusion 20 Ukris Wongse-ont
Crystal Visions 21 Greg Keeter
Sketch for Sonnet 21 Paul Duke
The IncompKJtent Veterinarian 22 William Rich
And Eyes Stare On 23 Amett Flowers
Where Has It Gone 24 Jerry R. Combs
Time 25 KempTeague
Cave 25 Ukris Wongse-ont
Portrait ofA Brick Sculpture Commission 26 PatriciaTurlington
Saying Good-bye 28 Jana Page
Bird 29 Bob Krieger
Photo 29 Malcolm Shearin
Sonnet to Trees under Ice 30 Rosalyn Lomax
Friend among the Silent 30 Gary Hales
To Conrad B. Wessell, Jr 31 Miriam Wessell
Glorious Phantoms 32 Patrick Humphries
AnotherGlorious Phantom 32 Patrick Humphries
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
The Photograph 33 Crystal Wade
Loss ofA Sunbeam 34 Archie Matzkvech
Sunbeams 35 Vicki Branch
Lost in the Past 36 BiU Whitfield
Spillway 37 TinaGiddens
Stairs: Leading Nowhere 37 Maria Modlin
Country Cat Comes to Town 38 DotEUedge
Where Are YouTonight? 39 Myra Howell
Grand Finale 39 Jackie Wyman
4th ofJuly 40 JeffMorse
Horizon 41 CarlaFutrell
Eye ofthe Fog 41 Rosalyn Lomax
From My Bedroom 42 Sharon Royal
In Love 43 Tony Joyce
A Gift for Frances 43 Grace Lutz
Survivor 44 Smithie Denning
To Meet the Challenge 45 Denise Lewis
Crossroads 46 Kathy Norris
Paradise Lost 47 GingerShelton
Fanning the Fire 47 Ginger Shelton
A Rose 48 Brian Bolster
Untitled 48 Megan Davis
Jennifer 49 Patrick Humphries
Strands ofLight 51 Etonna Cullipher
Acceptance Denied 51 Vance Perkins
Power ofGod 52 Tony Joyce
Pcaris ofWisdom 52 Lisa Mitchell
Mr. Teddy 53 Elizabeth Anderson
Theater Seats 54 Roni Williams
Celebration 55 Tabitha Johnson
Because May Never See You Again 56 Paul Duke
I
Cosmos Inside Back Cover Lisa Cline
SolarEruption Back Cover James Wiggs
TO A LADY
Withthe grace ofamightyqueenofyore
And the mind ofamodemEleanor,
She holds hergoodly knights inthrall
Whene'erwe come into herhall.
And when 'gainst "A" we fain would rage,
She soothes ourire withcounsel sage.
We wearhercolors onoursleeve,
Ifshe should fall we fainwould grieve.
Who is this queen whom all revere.
Who doth delight all who drawnear?
She holds ahigh place inourhearts,
She isthe Queen ofLiberal Arts.
Marian Westbrook
Instructor, Liberal Arts
Ed. note: ThispoemwaswrittenforEleanorPowellabout 1974.
Eleanor and June
Shakespeare would call them "greatofheart."
BenJonson wouldsay theywere "notofan age, butforalltime."
They didnothave to live in Spoon Rivertoknow "it takes life to love life."
The Editors
REGRETS
Youjust couldn't stand it Tometamorphize into Mrs. So-and-so
This night ofall nights You chose the dream
When I needed to feel pretty Thatpreys onthe female race
And you with talons ofwords White picket fence - two children
Shredded me apart You made it yourlife
You hated seeing the woman And now
it is fleeting fast
Bom
ofyourlittle girl You are feeling scared
I don't think you hate me Because deepdown you know
You hate what 1 have become Regrets do not make good company
The woman you could have been
The woman you gave up
GingerShelton
Because it was expected ofyou College Transfer
To lose youridentity
Doorway, Lisa Cline, College Transfer
THE FIELD
Unseencrows lazily caw from late afternoon woods
Echoing across Septemberweeds
Inviting me to unburden myselfunderthe browning sycamore across
the field
Orinthe shady evergreens beyond.
The waning summersun is still strong -
Gear and brightbutnottoo hotto wait in.
I long to wade outinto the field.
To abandon all projects and concerns
And seek some peace ofmind
Amidst the thistle and Timothy grass.
Yet I remain looking across this fresh suburban asphalt,
A fixture ofthe concrete curb,
Maintaining an attitude ofdutiful semi-responsibility
As I pass the time withoutproductorprofit.
Leaving my mind to unsettled, dissatisfied wanderings
And leaving the field to the crickets and dragonflies.
The unnatural pink glow ofthe street lights fills the air
Leaving no margin on these tree-lined streets
Fora strong shadow to lie in.
Few insects come hypnotized to the glow.
Having found otherpursuits for a cool summernight.
High above, the clearafternoon sky has faded to deep blue
But the vast spattering ofstars is easily repressed
By the sodium glare ofsuburbia.
PatrickHumphries
College Transfer
3
THE BUTTON VEST
Crystal WadCy College Transfer
As I drove to the mall that day, my mind was replaying the morning's events. Every
morning my grandmother comes into my room with her complaint for the day. On this
particularmorningI wasthe focusofherdisappointment. I satthereandletherwordspierce
mysoulwithoutallowinghertoseehowdeepmywoundswere. BythetimeIreachedthemall,
mypurpose ofgoing shopping waslost. I wandered from store to store, notknowing what I
was looking at. My thoughts had taken over completely. I was desperately searching for a
memory ofthe grandmother who had once been my only source oflove and comfort. My
thoughts cleared for an instant when my eyes fell upon the button vest hanging on the rack
beside me. This was the memory I was looking for.
Myparentswerefightingastheyalwaysdidwhenevertheyhadtogosomewheretogether.
Since my room was nextto theirs, I decided to sneak out into the living room to sit with my
grandmother. She was going to stay with us while my parents were gone. There she was in
herfavoritechairsewingabuttonononeofmybrother'sshirts. Isatdownbyherfeetandbegan
to play with the buttons she had in an old masonjar. There were so many different shapes,
colors, and sizes. To me, they werejustbuttons, buttoherthey werememories. As I began
topull eachbutton from thejar,mygrandmotherwouldtellmethestory ofhowithad gotten
there~somanyhappystoriesofpartydresses, Sundayclothes,playclothes, andclothesfrom
relativeslongsincedeparted. Isattherelisteningtomygrandmother'sspecialmemorieswith
allofthose wonderfulimagesdancingthroughmymind. Allofthe angerthathunginthe air
from my parentswasgone. I was atthechurchpicnicmygrandmotherspokeof. Icould feel
the warmth ofthe sun, hearthe sound oflaughter, I could even smell the cotton candy atthe
statefair. Whenmyparentsfinallyleftfortheevening,mygrandmothertuckedmeinbedand
kissedmegoodnight. ThatnightI sleptwiththebuttonmygrandmotherhadletmepickfrom
herjar. I had a happy memory ofmy own in the palm ofmy hand.
I boughtthebuttonvestandrushedhometoshowittomygrandmother. Shejustlooked
at it and told me it was nice. She no longer remembers how special buttons canbe. Sheno
longerhas ajarin which to keepherhappymemories. The buttons are gone forhernow.
I know that I can never get those buttons back forher, but I will always remembernow.
Whenever1feelthememoriesfade, IputonmybuttonvestandrecaUthehappymemoriesmy
grandmother shared with me on that long gone day.
4
