THE OONISTS

 

Today is April 1, so you know what that means…no, not April Fool’s Day.

Today is the start of Poetry Month. But instead of a poem, I am subjecting you to a badly written rallying song, which I wrote collaboratively when I was 15. But first, a rambling intro.

I spent 10½ years at a strict, all-girls, Catholic boarding school. That means long periods of isolation from families and the outside world. On the last day of school, I felt as if I had been given a reprieve from a life sentence. But my friends and I huddled together and cried. Because now we had to face reality; choosing our career path; earning a living – yikes; socializing with boys – double yikes. Worst of all, we were moving on and away from the close comfort of each other. Lifelong friends, closer than sisters. Friends are what made the strict regulations of boarding school bearable.

As part of our survival strategy, four of us formed a group – not quite a gang – and called ourselves the Oonsists. Later one more person was inducted into the group. We wasted almost a roll of TP on a scroll for her investiture. (Note: Boarding school TP is very tough, you could easily use it to make face masks.)

And now, if you are still reading, here is our rallying cry. It is meant to be intoned, with a ponderous beat and a slight cadence at the end. It’s best chanted while marching aimlessly around a room. Try it.

WE ARE THE OONISTS  FOUR  FAITHFUL TRUE AND STRONG.
WE STAND FOREVER MORE, WITH LAUGHTER AND A SONG.
OUR MOTTO IS BE FAITHFUL. WE’LL BACK IT TO THE LAST.
BRAVE, BOLD, BELLIGERENT; WE’RE THOROUGH, TRUE AND FAST.

Oonisities to  all.