As the second half of the second semester takes its toll on the unsuspecting Jesuit High School Marauder, I contemplated what I could possibly write in this time of academic struggle. I concluded that I would write a few poems regarding the spring semester as all of our emotions are caught in a crossfire between diligence and repose.

Dawdling Into the Wee Hours (a haiku)

It’s two a.m. and

I procrastinated while

Playing Black Ops Three

Application of Effort

The packet issued long ago is due in five hours,

And I alone am not prepared to undertake.

Ungodly grief sinks in, my stomach turns sour;

On this precipice, this will be the one to break or make.

Fatigue is feverishly present in both my mind and my soul,

As I engage the power button to my computer

My consciousness begins to lull.

Doubt and regret rush through; the possibility of a tutor?

Autonomously, my hand rushes ink onto paper.

Senselessly, my arm flails with vigor and might:

The friction caused by the writing turns my beads of sweat into vapor.

The dawning of the sun marks the end of my academic fight:

Tripping, stumbling, flippin’, fumbling I wander in with the packet; perfection.

I then break down in a heat of emotion: the due date was moved to the next section.

The Privileged Senior

There once was a Senior named Sam

When the privileges came he didn’t give a damn

But as his grades dropped

His apathy soon stopped

And sure enough he was forced to cram.

Happy studying, gents; godspeed,

Cole Pacis ‘18