Middlebury College Tribute

Posted on January 17, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*Middlebury College*

Come ye all around the Christmas tree. From
Vermont
to this Lighting,
All around is Christmas glee.
A Christmas tradition passed from Vermont
to
The Mansion of D.C.

When Paul Moody began this tradition,
Who could’ve known what would be given back?
A true
Gift for Giving.

Not confined to Christmastime but due to charitable benefactors
like Gamaliel Painter and the Secret Santa of ’04:
Vermont has ingrained a land forever for free men,
Beginning as the first state to abolish slavery and
in the tunnel of equal progression, Alexander Twilight was the first highlight
of this legacy where a Bachelor’s freedom is shared with women,
black Panthers,
and any other who has wished to join
Club Midd
to see the campus art, rove the open spaces, and ride the thrill
of Winter Carnival.

Each year there are many who make this same wish around the world…

And underneath the lights of the National Christmas Tree and shooting stars,
Middlebury’s selected few only want to get back home to their wish…
Thus reliving the joys of Christmas every day.

Swooshing down the slopes of the College Snow Bowl on a campus
Where knowledge and virtue await you,
a premiere Liberal Arts College that
leaps through winter higher
than any other school
as winter’s spire.

Middlebury has Panthers who patrol the
peaks of knowledge & mountains,
then the Snow Bowl—
chuting down the verge of a readied escape
Where Febs begin the winter procession
to receive a diploma in any degree
then graduate to a reality away from their wish.

Each year there are many who make this same wish around the world…

There are those who’ve lived it and those still living it.
There are those who just by enjoying one another’s company,
Make college itself an experience worth wishing.

This is where the Panthers get away within the very
axis of their home. Retreating to the touch of winter’s caress,
and by touching one another, relieving the stress
of fellow Panthers whose wishes have all come true,
and Middlebury College,
They owe it all to you.

These are the Christmas Carols of a never-ending season
of giving where cheer is always outside your door.
And in the spirit of Christmas some benevolent soul is
wishing that someone else,
far, far away,
Prepared to graduate high school will share this wish
of standing by the Christmas tree singing with them
the joys and praises
of such a blessed

Alma Mater.

Follow ClydeAidoo.com for more poems from the Art of Mind and Alma Mater series shared daily. You can purchase Clyde Aidoo’s latest release, Alma Mater Vol. 3: The West, a poetic celebration of the top universities of the West by clicking the link below.

Tagged with: Books, College, College Life, Literature, Poetry, Poetry Books, Winter, Writing
Posted in Alma Mater, Uncategorized

Brown University Tribute

Posted on January 17, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*Brown University*

Boarding Brown
Means you have already arrived at forever,
Beginning at the Van Wickle Gates in the fall,
Attached to this Loose Ivy, the Bears flow wherever
The ocean of glorification calls.
In God We Hope is our phrase—it’s the motto,
And we hope to God you can share this journey,
Of cruising great waves with the mind on auto,
Set to embark and add sails to our story:

One of Discovery
&
American Revolutions;
Collectivism with searchers
Who find absolution…
In the destination
of our journey itself…

The Ivy League’s golden crown:
The free-thinking palace that’s
Boldly Brown.

Carrying ideas that move each of their makers—
Is a vessel of artists, activists, and growers,
In the dough of academia—we are the bakers,
Rising to the top like our female rowers.

The men fleet isn’t far behind,
Though it’s education that makes the man,
Bears learning & advancing mankind:
Thinkers & reformists who join Horace Mann.

In the annals of the history of modern education,
On the grass where we dance on the Island greens,
The tracked grass reforms—into Brown creation,
These grounds are where Bears’ tracked spirit careens.

This is our home, our destination, our journey,
Come join us in forever—within this residence,
Once more, our destination is our journey:

We shall see you in Providence.

Tagged with: Books, College, College Life, Education, Literature, Poetry, Poetry Books, Writing
Posted in Alma Mater, Uncategorized

Brown University Tribute

Posted on January 17, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*Brown University*

One of Discovery
&
American Revolutions;
Collectivism with searchers
Who find absolution…
In the destination
of our journey itself…

The Ivy League’s golden crown:
The free-thinking palace that’s
Boldly Brown.

Carrying ideas that move each of their makers—
Is a vessel of artists, activists, and growers,
In the dough of academia—we are the bakers,
Rising to the top like our female rowers.

The men fleet isn’t far behind,
Though it’s education that makes the man,
Bears learning & advancing mankind:
Thinkers & reformists who join Horace Mann.

This is our home, our destination, our journey,
Come join us in forever—within this residence,
Once more, our destination is our journey:

We shall see you in Providence.

Posted in Alma Mater, Uncategorized

University of Rhode Island Creative Piece

Posted on January 17, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*URI*

Rhode Island is a treasure—hidden in the sand,
Where the visual’s bland can now get an even tan,
Where the ocean meets the shore with beaches galore,
Whether beaches or parties: There’s always more.
The summertime’s here and leaving seniors arrive,
On Block Island—to take a deep dive,
Into the state with some fine maritime,
All aboard the yacht, Rams, cuz it’s party time!
After leaving URI, they’ve begun their 5th year
Of basking in this glory—remaining at the steer.
When bodies float to campus they sail away…sail away…
Others are taken by the scene then fail away…fail away…
Not these seniors, they have left with well-wishings,
The freshmen all get hooked, then come out shells: Shellfishing.
They find all the parties and right there begins the gamut,
There’s a ragin’ scene in Kingston—and one in the Gansett.
This yacht has seniors who’ve been there, done that,
And loved every minute so they remain on tap—
Ready to pour freely in the basin, break the seal,
Taken by the rolling coasts the countless bluffs reveal.
This yacht is rockin’ hard—Cumberlandite,
The sun and bouncing waves make an unencumbered sight,
When this boat’s a-rockin’, don’t come—refrain,
Don’t knock and disturb, wait up, they just came.
They hook up on this yacht like an end to a nexus,
The music’s in the sheets the theme’s the Battle of the Sexes,
Four years back: They were landing in the dorm,
Now they’re in the waters “facing” Newport Storm.
Those years of beverages are now leveraged in the gut,
They washed down those lunches and dinners from “The Butt,”
They call the hall The Butt because it tastes like bass,
Fresh, well-cleaned, and scaled up the class.
These Rams, they had times with emotions still harbored,
So though they graduated they remain on the harbor,
If you want a school that parties, well here, they do,
But don’t think they don’t Think Big because
We Do.

Tagged with: Books, College, College Life, Poetry, Writing
Posted in Alma Mater, Uncategorized

Penn State Tribute

Posted on January 16, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*Penn State*

They said that we were history.
Wrong.
Penn State is history,
&
We Are Penn State.

***

They said that we were history.
Wrong.
Much like Pearl Harbor, and the Great Flood of 1889:
History is not the tragic event itself,
History is what survived it.

And what is found here in this Park
Goes a lot further than any field.

Engineers by the thousands travel this country and, much like their university, are committed to rebuild.
Buildings.
Buildings like Old Main, which began our history, and hovering tall—
It stands.
Monuments.
Monuments like The Nittany Lion Shrine, which guards this home, and on Homecoming,
Standing in the Lion’s place,
We switch shifts.
Moments.
Moments inside The Hub and outside Berkey Creamery, where we indulge in the delight of friendship, with its sweetness frozen in time.
Parties.
A party history that goes on, as the times we had—stand, still.
This is the best party in all Pennsylvania,
Those invited,

Celebrate.

In this world of survival of the fittest,
The Nittany Lions have survived
&
Conquered.
With a two-time national champion men’s team, and the winningest team in women’s history,
We have conquered the sport of volleyball, including 2008, when our
Men and Women took to the top together.

There are celebrations in the Rec Center, when Russ leads the team to yet another national championship. And there are celebrations when Cael Sanderson continues to lead our wrestling program to the dynasty of this generation. Yes, there is a lot to celebrate at Penn State.
We have celebrated the development of heart-assist pumps and the first rechargeable pacemaker,
And through such celebrations,
We have learned that Penn State is designed to survive
Even the hardest of heartbreaks.

They said that we were history.
They then justly cleared our field.
But
Even in light of what’s been erased,

Our whiteouts will never fade.

And now we take back our field.

We are fighters.
We are revelers.
We are believers.
We are tomorrow.
They said that we were history…
Shhhh. We are still working.
We—Are—Penn State.

Tagged with: Books, College, College Life, Penn State, Poetry, Poetry Books, Sports, Writing
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University of Pittsburgh Tribute

Posted on January 16, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*The University of Pittsburgh*

Pitt is the home of our community.

Blue-collar citizens who build bridges
for
differences:
East ‘Burgh. The West End.
North & South crossing with
the T…
The rails bring parts of all Pittsburg to Oakland,
&
We are always sure to donate back.

Constructing a home takes different parts,
Bringing encounters with responses that make
Pitt Arts.

This is the City of Champions.
And we emulate them on Forbes Avenue, when we take down the O fries like champs.
We cheer the goal strikers like Mario Lemieux who raised the Igloo.
We follow the Pittsburgh championship model with our philosophy of team building, integration, and energy…
Maintaining the vitality of this community with public service and waste reduction,
So as receivers of Pittsburg like Franco Harris,
This miracle catch can save each season.

Pittsburgh, PA:
What a catch.
Interstate 279
is the next catch.
Through the Golden Triangle of this City of Steel,
We can arrive
at the entrance of
Heinz Field.

Pitt is the home of football.

Beginning each year with a bonfire and a pep rally,
Pitt continues the game’s raging start,
Unveiling the first pro game ever played:
Pittsburgh is football’s definitive spark.

Watch the golden lights.
The victory lights that flood the cathedral when we sing her song,

Hail to Pitt.

Showcasing the steel curtain of football’s reveals:
Presenting the first coast-to-coast TV broadcast of a live sporting event.
The home of the first live college football radio broadcast.
And the first to give numbers to the players,
So that the greats can know what they’ve meant,
With their presence still displayed after retirement.

Forgers like
Ditka, Marino, Green, Fitzgerald,
Who were cast by some of the greatest masterminds of
our sport:
“Pop” Warner, Johnny Majors, Jock Sutherland,
Earning Pitt Football nine national championships,
And 13 bowl victories:
Hail to Pitt.
Challengers who enter,
Fail to Pitt.

The Panther Prowl leads the way to the
March to Victory.
Such yells are only fit for the Panther Pitt,
Sing it loud:

Let’s Go Pitt!

Singing right before victory’s shrill,
And it feels
Oh So Good.

Like the flag bearers who lead the team onto the field,
In the ACC we hold the standard.
A given in our sport—
From the first catch.

Pittsburgh, PA:
What a catch.
Interstate 376
is the next catch.
Through the Turnpike of this city of steel,
We’re at Petersen—where our Panthers kill.

Pitt is the home of the Panthers.

Panthers—
In Leaps.
Those in the Oakland Zoo
scream as the Panthers are released…
And keep shouting as they attack.

In the Petersen Center, the Zoo is what
keeps the Panthers together,
As our noise
along with
their siege:
Make visitors fall apart.

Pitt is atmospheres like conference games
in Petersen.
Celebrations like E-Week, Bigelow Bash, and Fall Fest.
Solidification like the bronze of our Panther
That goes from outside the William Pitt Union—
All over this
Learning Cathedral.

Every Panther who chose Pitt
Hit a Homerun
In the college slate,
And at Posvar Hall is where they
Cross Home Plate.

We built this home here in the city of builders.
Along with the western hemisphere’s tallest academic building:
A 535-Foot skyscraper that spans 42 stories,
And is as magnificent on the inside as the outside.
Providing a view for the Panthers to look from
this gothic structure within these limestone walls
out to see what we have built:

This project that began in 1787,
A blueprint donated with the hearts of Panthers…
So that today on Cathy’s lawn & throughout Oakland,
From
Generation to Generation,
We can pass the ball to the next campaign,
With the catchphrase:

Catch.

Tagged with: Books, College, College Life, Literature, Poetry, Poetry Books, Writing
Posted in Alma Mater, Uncategorized

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Tribute

Posted on January 13, 2017 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

From Alma Mater Vol. 2: The Northeast
Available Now for only 99 cents!

*IUP*

Don’t let It get away.

Chase It into the halls of Stephenson,
where comfort & leisure await.

When It tells you to put off unpacking to join the Freshmen Convocation on the grass…
Sit down.

Follow It to a table in Foster, where familiar faces from your floor are sitting…
so that new neighbors may become new friends.

On IUP Day, do not overanalyze which club to join…It will tell you.

Even though stage fright is still behind your class presentation, use It to tell a joke when
with a straight line—It comes to you.

Capture It when Its voice rises to speak to the beautiful face buried in the books of Stapleton,
even though the others expect silence.

Walk with It to a movie date when asked, even though Midterms
are hours away.

Use It as the color behind the Chalk-on-the-Walk. And make sure these words
have Its name in them.

At the small window where It shouts to get up for your 8 a.m. class:
Jump.

Attend karaoke night at Grubs Sports Bar with It,
to pay tribute to lyrics that gave breaks when life was canvassed in studies—
To help give it all meaning.

While at task,
Listen when It whispers at your desktop: That sleep does not assure Its restart,
so tonight you must reboot.

When it feels like you are knocking on the doors of something
the world has been missing,
do not walk away with reasons why they will never be opened to you,
find & mind your own business—then make the plan.

When jogging through Oak Grove past the variegated leaves of autumn, come to a halt
to take Its entire lifespan in your snapshot.

Unlike the trees in the picture that won’t soon be dead,
Its life’s length is of cutaway thread.
You must
Document Its fleeting time in your application, commute, then arrive:
You must
Allow your Inspiration to act,
While It is still alive.

Tagged with: Books, College, College Life, Poetry, Poetry Books, Writing
Posted in Alma Mater, Uncategorized