Student Publishing Program ::

Natalya Raphael

The Red Queen's Hypothesis

The promise of freedom lies,
An oasis of the deserted hallways,
A torture of the imagination
Longing for summer vacation.

Daydreams flicker in the depths
Of the sleep-deprived mind.
Eyes closing without consent.

There is no motion
In this land ruled by bells and whistles
Stretching for all eternity.

The detached wanderer bewitched,
Murdering the time.

He wanders aimlessly,
Each day tripping over the next.
He cannot sleep because he needs work.
He cannot work because he needs sleep.

By instinct, feet shuffle
Forward.
Restrained by a horizontal barrier of papers.
We’re all mad here.

Sometimes,
The taste of salvation flickers.
Hands
Slowly
Reach
Forward.

And finally...

But,

There is more work to be done.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2010 EDITION]