A Loving Brother Celebrates His Sister's Victory

A Loving Brother Celebrates His Sister's Victory!

Peter T. Atkinson, H-SC '00

Grab your pearls and holla, holla loudly!

Don your rose and bear it proudly

Declare it far, spread it wide

Sweet Briar college has survived!

It seem it was just like yesterday,

They tried to shut my sister away,

Saying she's over, done with, and through,

That they tried, but had nothing more they could do.

Grab your pearls and holla, holla loudly!

Don your rose and bear it proudly

Pull your pink and green ribbon tight

The vixen girls have won the fight.

And then since we were given no warning

We spent one night crying, grieving, and mourning,

But just as the dawning sun came shedding its light

She emerged from the ashes rising to fight.

Grab your pearls and holla, holla loudly!

Don your rose and bear it proudly

Testify now to the power of prayer

My sister school, ain't going nowhere!

The road was long, the battle raged uncertain,

Trying, struggling, racing, against time's closing curtain.

The more we asked, questioned, and pleaded,

The more we found our way impeded

                                The more we needed

                                The leadership weeded

                                Our anger was heated,

                                For we felt cheated

                                Our sisters mistreated

                                Her efforts gone unheeded

                                Their echo still repeated

                                The school must be deleted

                                Then one more time with faith depleted

                                Standing, worried, all but defeated

                                She never wavered and humbly proceeded

                                It was only then her victory was completed

                                She faced the darkness and she succeeded.

                               

So grab your pearls and holla, holla loudly!

Don your rose and bear it proudly

Never, no never, no never again doubt

We now know what Vixen's are all about!

And after celebrating this battle won,

We must remember that we are not done,

For now she's saved, and standing tall,

But the real work is setting up for next fall,

Because a school is more than a name and a board,

Or a court decision and a political accord.

The time is now to build years to come,

But what a blessing to know there will be some!

Grab your pearls and holla, holla loudly!

Don your rose and bear it proudly

Standing together, arm in arm as friends,

The road goes on forever, and Sweet Briar never ends!

So now we can say Sweet Briar is saved,

Obstacles removed, and a way forward is paved,

Thanks to so many who rallied to her call

And would not allow her mission to fall.

Grab your pearls and holla, holla loudly!

Don your rose and bear it proudly

Sing one more time, hell sing on forever,

When will Sweet Briar close? The answer is never!


Poem #1
A Loving Brother in Memory of His Sister
Poem # 2
A Loving Brother Sees His Sister Rise
Poem # 3
A Loving Brother Encourages His Sister to Live and Fight
Poem # 4
An Angry Brother Wonders Why
Poem # 5
The Deafening Silent Sigh
Poem # 6
The Last Unicorn/Vixen