"Hope and the Dream"

By Tim Keenley
 
Way back when, a group of very serious men, 
Set forth to chisel out a dream.
A school just for boys… imagine that!
They prayed and searched for a scheme.
 
They thought of a school for their sons and hundreds of others,
Of a sort which had never been seen.
With the strong expectation that it all would be done, 
Their HOPE reigned supreme.
 
They imagined a place, a paradise for boys,
With forts, climbing trees and ropes a’ swinging.
A haven for critters, like snakes and lizards,
Where you could do ‘most anything.
 
One day they discovered, off Longpoint Road,
A lush piece of land, nobody had seen.
Where nature was whole and animals stole,
And everything around was GREEN.
 
Meanwhile, others chipped in, in Maryland,
At The Heights, they helped make the start.
Then it came to light, to everyone’s fright, 
The school would be divided in parts!!!!!
 
Oh, no, not to worry! (they implored) try to understand!
The Houses are a great addition!
They’ll foster strong bonds, through battle and bard, 
They’re NOT some kind of weak federation!
 
And they proudly revealed the new coat of arms,
House elements and their colors foreseen.
It was yellow and black, blue and brown,
But bathed in a swell of GREEN.
 
To our surprise, Houses embraced the whole family,
Not just the boys, their dads and their brothers.
Moms were included, as well as their daughters,
(But the latter weren’t invited to Dads Smokers!)
 
Each House had a virtue, a guiding light,
Be it daring, wisdom or contemplation.
But one virtue stood out as light for their dream,
HOPE was the solid foundation.
 
HOPE is the virtue, philosophers say,
For framing grand desires.
Fulfillment expected, not by man’s work alone,
But by His, whose plans are higher!
 
The campus would grow, and add new lots,
A huge oak, no greater was seen.
When after a rain, its Resurrection fern, 
Became a luxurious GREEN.
 
The curriculum was based on love for the arts,
We sang songs with all our might.
We delight in the characters of stories and poems,
From real books… and not an Ipad in sight. 
 
The teachers would form a merry band of men,
Who play, pray and feast together.
They’ve got each other’s backs and never will judge,
Just like you would for your very own brother.
 
Athletics took off and the teams congealed, 
And boys came out, wearing the GREEN.
At a loss to find a home football field, 
They borrowed one owned by Koreans.
 
In Language Arts, the parts of speech
Were parsed to give better meaning.
Three Houses were named after rather boring nouns,
The only adjective, of course, was named GREEN.
 
After the second years’ battle for the Wooden House Cup,
A conspiracy was unmasked: dark and mean.
But the strife was resolved, and all was made right,
By a victory for House of the GREEN.
 
After a couple of years, the word got out,
And the phones started a’ ringing.
Folks wanted to know, is it true, could there be?
A school where all the boys are singing.
 
But some naysayers gossiped, behind their backs, 
Saying the school was not inclusive (with only fellows).
That a school with no girls would become a disaster,
(They didn’t know about Mrs. Bello.)
 
There’s a gender gap, they said, which just ain’t right!
For girls do you have some kind of phobia?
They were taken by surprise, hemmed and hawed,
Oh, we’ll just have to start, ummh… Magnolia?
 
Each March we celebrate our Founding Roots,
around Annunciation Day.
It’s no ordinary gala, with noise and palaver,
But one where you really want to stay.
 
And it’s been five years, and we are “Daring to Grow”,
Here we share joy at our tables.
We’ve come to celebrate this dream become real,
And give as much as we are able!
 
So let’s raise our glasses, all Houses as one,
And celebrate this fine cuisine.
And toast in honor of that pesky little bird,
To a Jay whose color is GREEN.
 
To the House of the Green!