Poem for Nancy Isenhour

by Michael Ceraolo

She was one of 196 frosh
who entered High Point College
in High Point, North Carolina
in the fall of 1941,
a number that would dwindle,
with fifty-seven entering the military
and almost a hundred others leaving
for reasons not documented by history,
to a graduating class of 46

Her accomplishment was listed
below her yearbook photo as though
it were no more interesting or
of more historical import than to which
fraternity or sorority one belonged,
                                                  though
she was given her historical due
in a different section of the book

She would later describe herself as
having played every sport available,
                                                    and
withe the shortage of people on campus
she was invited to play one
not generally available then or now
to those like her:
                          boys' varsity basketball