Parents, students, alums and employees are invited to our Welcome Back Carnival on September 13. RSVP here.
Spring - 24
The Ballerina
The Ballerina
by Isobel, Grade 11
Lighter than air,
Sweet as a peach,
Pale as a ghost,
And just out of reach,
A top-shelf girl,
In a pink wooden chest,
Every ruffle and curl,
Is looking its best,
On constant display,
But not ever free,
A girl dances alone,
The steps of ballet,
Illusion of freedom,
She’s up on that stage,
Cracked half-moon smile,
From the earliest age,
Toes crushed under weight,
Of the gaze of a man,
The shape of her jaw,
And the way her turns land,
And she wishes sometimes,
She could fall to the ground,
And break and unspool,
Stop this spinning around,
And her crown would then smash,
Her limbs snap in two,
But she could know rest,
For a minute or two,
But instead she’ll keep turning,
Tucked away in her box,
That music still playing,
Her cage is still locked,
Her pointe shoes are bloody,
Her bun is a mess,
Face stained with tears,
Just waiting for rest.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.
Setting the new standard for girls' education everywhere takes collective action. From all of us.
