Teen Poetry Contest Winners 2003

Grades 6-8

1st Place
Ode to Danika
Coco

Danika,
late in the Saturday 'noon,
to dance in the evening,
while the sun sets.

Your skin,
as cotton as the dress you wear.
and eyes as green
as glittering emeralds.

Danika,
hidden beauty,
a holy stained glass window
into my blackened heart.

Your voice,
like daisy petals on rolling hills
inspiration
like a cool rocky creek.

Danika,
pastel like the clouds
spin me 'round
as if I were ice cubes in your lemonade.

2nd Place
I Want...
Ellen

I want...

Fox tails, bug guts,
     And a bucket of ooze.
Splinters, and eyeballs,
     And a few hundred kangaroos.

I want...

Old homework,
     And rotten socks.
Eraser dust (any dust),
     And a moldy box.

I want...

Messy rooms,
     (I like them mom),
And a picture of
     My uncle's prom

I want...

Pig masks, an elephant,
     And a giant cotton ball.
I, me, want it
     ALL!

3rd Place
Cat in the Morning
Rebecca

His furry back curls
An arched position
Mouth opened wide
Stretched in a yawn.

Curled tail unfurls
A morning tradition
Food by his side
Toy mouse is gone.

His nails like small pearls
Click, clack, repetition
Cross wood floor, wide
He scampers at dawn.

Among leaves he whirls
Pursuing his mission
Grass helps him hide
Out on the lawn.

Honorable Mention
Night Lights
Ellen

I watch the flowers dip their heads
     Finally down to rest,
Bidding good bye to the sun
     Who's fading in the West.

Each single shining dewdrop
     Catches crystal light,
Waving farewell to the Day,
     And welcoming the Night.

Night whose endless stars
     Never grow old,
Night whose dazzling moon
     Is made of whitened gold.

I listen very carefully,
     And hear the moonlight's song.
I imagine every different star,
     Who were laughing all along.

I feel my grin widen,
     And slowly raise my eyes,
To the never ending darkness
     That is the midnight skies.

Honorable Mention
Laundry Machine
Rebecca

A load is dumped
Of smelly clothes
Into the tub
I hold my nose

The buttons pressed
The cycle set
The water falls
The clothes get wet

And then it starts
The soapy wash
The bubbles swish
The T-shirts slosh

The final phase
The water drains
The dirt is gone
There's no more stains

Thus continues
The ceaseless rounds
Of dirty clothes
And buzzing sounds

Such is the life
Of a machine
That just does its job
And keeps the clothes clean.

Grades 9-12

1st Place
Sometimes In winter
Elizabeth Gonz.

Sometimes in Winter,
I look out my window to the falling snow.
Sometimes in winter,
When I am walking alone in the night
I laugh in the moonlight,
Feeling the snow kiss my cheeks and the wind play with my hair.
Sometimes in winter,
I feel the need to become five years old,
To run in the new snow, making snow angels
Lying on my back gazing at the beautiful and quiet night.
Feeling so close to the sky,
That I could reach out and carry a star as a small ball of light
Sometimes in winter, I need to be lonely
To curl up with a book and hot chocolate on a soft couch near the firelight
Sometimes in winter, I need you to hold me tight,
To tell me that you love me and let me shed tears on your strong shoulders
As you soothe me with a kiss.
I need you to remind me
That the warm, sultry summer nights are not so far off
And the love that we shared is still alive.
Sometimes in winter, I need you to remind me that I still have my innocence
And that I am beautiful.
Sometimes in winter I ride to the forest where the trees sleep and my soul is at rest
For there are no worries, no deadlines, no fights
The trees make me seem as a flash of light, here today and gone tomorrow
My little life, so insignificant, that I cannot help but be in awe
Sometimes in winter I realize how precious you are
How I need you by my side and how comforting your touch is.
Sometimes in winter I remember how much I love you

3rd Place
Frozen In Glass
John

looking back
on better times
frozen in glass

shards of days
litter the floor
by the door
you walked through
when you left

spouting trite lines
of needing more space
and being friends
but nothing more

smiling that fake smile
you always smiled
when you lied to me
through clenched teeth

Honorable Mention
Today's Headlines
Jenni
Kindergartener of today
Same as before, now fated to say
Over rim of sippy-cup
"This is what I will be, if I grow up"

Changes in teenage romance
Once meant commitment, now means quick glance
Relationship lasts one day
No time to marry, much less pray

Businessman just out of college
Armed and ready with newfound knowledge
Watches world around him sway
Less motivation day by day

Monuments of B.C.
Lasting throughout world's history
Monuments of today
Built with despair, not expected to stay

Weather forecast for tomorrow:
Chances high for scattered sorrow
Present worldwide horoscope:
Perseverance only hope

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