SECOND GRADE
FIRST PLACE:
Chit
Chat
This
is a cat. He loves to chit chat.
His
name is Matt.
He
has a neighbor who is a rat.
He
just bought an expensive hat.
His
hat has stripes.
They
look like pipes.
The
stripes are red and green.
You
better be nice and not mean.
Matt
likes pie.
He
doesn’t cry.
He
likes to fly high.
He
met an animal that was drinking a Danimal.
The
Danimal was flavored berry.
The
animal was named Larry.
He
was singing, ‘Don’t stop the beat!”
He
was singing it while he ate meat.
Aaron
Ethier and Amanda Ritter, grade 2
SECOND PLACE:
Surprise
in My Eyes
Surprise,
surprise, in my eyes.
I
see a star over my car.
Now,
now, little bear,
sitting
in my little chair.
Here,
here, little seal,
don’t
steal, little seal.
Emma
Hudak, grade 2
THIRD PLACE:
Golden
Dragon
Golden
dragon, golden dragon, how are you?
You’re
like flames. WHOOSH!
You
fly right by,
by
the blink of my eye and the tips of my toes.
The
wind blows sharply, and the night crept slow and smooth.
Then
he went home and slept through the night.
Silent!
Nothing moving in your cave.
Brendan
Brunelle, Zachary Flanagan, and Joseph O’Riorden, grade 2
HONORABLE MENTION:
Up!
Down!
Up!
Down!
Up, Down,
Up, Down,
Up, Down,
Up and down to the
tiny town.
Liberty
Zmijak, grade 2
HONORABLE MENTION:
Bugs,
Bugs!
Bugs,
bugs, are on the ground.
Bugs,
bugs, I found, I found.
Bugs,
bugs, fly high in the sky.
Bugs,
bugs, fly in a house.
Bugs
are outside.
Bugs
are inside.
Alia
Hanson and Madeline Krikorian, grade 2
THIRD GRADE:
FIRST PLACE:
Untitled
Once
there was a girl named Summer
who
danced with a plumber
that
sang with a drummer
who
loved her husband named, Gunner,
who
sat on a wheel with a spear that night.
As
they slept, came a noise
that
sounded like boys that swept
through
the night.
When
a boy came into sight,
when
summer screamed with the thunder that rumbled,
the
next day she woke with a start.
(What
is that boy doing in here? asked Summer.)
As
the drummer, plumber and Gunner came through the door.
Chelsea
Amaral, grade 3
SECOND PLACE:
Athletes
Athletes
are always fast.
Athletes
never come in last.
Athletes
are competitive.
This
is how they live.
Athletes
are you and me.
WE
ARE…
ATHLETES!
Katie
Potter, grade 3
THIRD PLACE:
My
Dog
I
have the smartest dog of all.
He
will come when you call.
He
can sometimes stall,
but he
loves it,
when
you throw a ball.
Emma
Lemire, grade 3
FOURTH GRADE:
FIRST PLACE:
I Am
I am the sky
I am the
Daylight of the
Night
the Darkness
of the Day
I am the Happy
of the Sad
the Evil
of the good
I am the
White in the Black
I am
the Beginning of
the End
Melissa
Cerioni, grade 4
SECOND PLACE:
The
Ninja Kitten
Doo,
Doo, Doo.
He’s
a Ninja Kitten,
beating
bad guys,
doing
good things.
He’s
super swag.
He
doesn’t brag.
He’s
a really good Persian,
like
he should.
But
then one day
there
was a situation in May.
Hostages,
with catnip
stolen
by Dr. Evil Mouse.
He
got in a choppa,
drove
over to his lair.
By
doing karate
he
could beat the mouse.
Ninja
Kitten didn’t beat him yet,
and
I bet it would take
a
miracle for him to win.
He
kicked the mouse in the shin.
30
minutes later
he
was hanging over gators.
Yes,
alligators.
He
thought he’d bite the rope
but
he realized, he’d fall in.
He
thought and shot a shuriken
at
the button panel to close
the
gator pit.
He
cut himself out
and
didn’t shout, “I’m free!”
Oh,
wait, he did.
He
got the guard’s attention.
He
fought and fought
and
won again.
He
is the best!
Ninja
Kitten!
John
Knop, grade 4
THIRD PLACE:
Dawn
to Sunset NC
The
sun appears in the sky at dawn.
I
drink the light, some stars still in the sky.
I
wait till they disappear, till you can make out the leaves fluttering off the
trees and
resting
gently at my feet.
I
take a walk just to hear the sound of nature.
Leaves
crunching, squirrels squeaking, and birds chirping in tune with the crickets.
I
hear frogs croaking, and I know I have arrived.
Soon
in the distance, I hear water splashing around.
I
run up to the lake, take off my shoes, then my socks, then put my bare feet in
the water,
lapping
at my feet.
I
throw off the t-shirt covering my bathing suit always, and I jump in.
After
a while, I look up.
The
sun is not in the sky anymore, it is in the trees casting shadows on the earth,
lighting
the sky to a maroon pink.
Stars
again dotting the sky.
I
rush home before dark, and soon I am drifting into a deep sleep.
From
dawn to sunset I think.
Then
everything went black.
Noelle
Chandley, grade 4
HONORABLE MENTION:
Fog
Fog
in the darkness
Inside
my head
Getting
thicker
And
thicker
I
get madder
And
madder.
And
then,
finally,
it
goes
away.
And
the sun
can
shine over me
Again.
As I
become happier than
Ever.
Again.
Emma Dionne, grade
4
HONORABLE MENTION:
Dressage,
a Pi Poem
Harmony,
grace, perfection.
Dressage
They
dance to music
Passage
Dancing
a test to perfection
They
dance in perfect harmony to the beautiful music
Rhythmic
pirouettes
Counter
canter, flying changes, half pass
They
dance sunrise to sunset
Airs
above ground
Flying
like they have wings
Beginner
to grand prix level, all in harmony
Kicking
up dirt, foaming mouths and flailing hooves
We
use only our legs to “talk”
Dressage
is more difficult than it looks, sitting still
We
sit still
Dressage
is
Harmony
and grace
Practice,
perfection, beauty and grace, it’s more difficult
Than
you think.
Emma Schexnaydre,
grade 4
HONORABLE MENTION:
Nat
Cat Limerick
There
once was a cat named Nat,
who
was an old cat that took naps.
He
LOVES to eat fish
served
up on a dish.
And
that is why he naps on a mat.
Wyatt Snow, grade
4
FIFTH GRADE:
FIRST PLACE:
New
England Weather
Weather,
weather, always the same,
Florida
sunny, Washington rain.
But
here in New England, to our surprise,
it
changes, summer to winter, in one sun-rise!
In
California and Arizona it’s always summer,
but
here in New England we have winter… bummer.
In
South Carolina and Virginia the Springs are lush,
but
here in Massachusetts the ground turns to mush.
In
New Mexico and Texas it will be hot and dry,
but
here in New England prepare to say, “Oh, my!”
NECN
thought they could keep up,
but
here in New England the changing weather won’t let up.
Kentucky
and Wisconsin have the best Fall,
but
here in New England it slows to a crawl.
Raking
leaves all day long,
but
people in Georgia and Louisiana do nothing, it’s just wrong.
We
live by surprise,
weather
changing in front of our eyes!
Some
people only want sun’s rays,
but
here in New England we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Michael DiTullio,
grade 5
SECOND PLACE:
Secret
Friends
Secret
Friends are the ones found in books.
The
words on the paper describe all their looks.
They
might be heroic
but
they may not know it.
They
might pretty
or
silly
or
witty!
Some
might be wizards
with
magical spells.
Some
might be travelers
with
tales to tell.
Some
might be crazy
like
the Mad Hatter
but
they are my friends
and
that’s all that matters.
Sofia
Doucette, grade 5
THIRD PLACE:
Stone
I
ran my fingers across the stone.
Each
divot seemed to play a role.
Wars,
fires, floods and more,
I
stifled a shiver as I was frozen to my core.
Everything
in time seemed to slow down
as I
slowly fell to the cold, hard ground.
My
world went black as I could feel myself fading.
Then
I saw a different black, a different shading.
I
ran toward it, and my world seemed to come back to me.
My
beautiful world came back, now I could see.
But
something was off,
something
was wrong.
Like
an incorrect not, played in a song.
The
stone, like my vision,
was
gone from existence,
gone
from the living.
Charlie
Lemire, grade 5
HONORABLE MENTION:
Trees
The
wind blows by
In
my hair
My
arms nap
And
fall to the ground.
Minutes
later
My
whole body
Collapsed
With
a big thud on the ground
Am I
dead?
Or
Is
it a new adventure beginning?
I’m
discovered by the people
They
take me away and cut me up
It
hurts so much
My
life is about to end
I’m
getting burned
Where
am I?
I
lasted 107 years
Why
could I have not lived a little longer?
Why
did the wind have to take me down
I am
a tree
Am I
really worth saving?
Hansi Kommanavancha, grade 5
HONORABLE MENTION:
Tigers
Orange
and white,
sitting
in a field,
Waiting
for
the perfect moment.
All
of a sudden
a
gazelle comes out of the
Jungle
and into the field.
The
tiger is waiting
for the
perfect moment.
It
is about to pounce,
but
it knows better.
The
gazelle comes closer.
The
tiger is ready,
it
jumps forward
from
its hiding place.
The
gazelle instantly
Runs.
The
tiger gets caught
on a
piece of wheat and slows down.
The
gazelle has just enough time
to
run away.
The
tiger sits in the field
Waiting
for
the perfect moment.
Matthew Howland, grade 5
HONORABLE MENTION:
Untitled
They
think I’m mad
All day
Every day
But
I’m not, I’m sad.
They
run from me.
They exclude me.
They are mean to me.
I
was only mean because she was
But she never got caught.
I did.
And
as they run from me
I get mad
As they exclude me
I’m so
annoyed.
And
when they are mean to me
I’m ready to burst like a water
balloon that’s about to get smashed to the ground.
And
as soon as the water balloon hits the ground
I’m off.
I
chase them, I swim after them…
There’s always something near me to
throw or bang them with
As
my parents say, “No, Lauren,” or “Stop, Lauren,”
It’s
too late, I’m in my own little world
And they don’t exist.
Lauren DiTullio, grade 5
SIXTH GRADE:
FIRST PLACE:
Coconut’s
Life
I remember when it all started
When
I first gained my consciousness
I was simply a little coconut
On a Florida palm tree
Just a
little green baby coconut
With
all my coconut friends
Overlooking the Caribbean
Hanging over the sea
In
endless coconut joy
Forever observing as the waves
rolled in
And crashed onto the
shore
With
loud booms
Shaking the tree where I lived
The
hot tropical air would keep my outer shell warm
Because it’s never cold
on the sandy shores of Florida
I
have such a relaxing life
I
had such a relaxing life
I will never
again have a relaxing life
All
thanks to the day the storm came
It had violent winds that threw
objects I had known all my life out to sea
Leaves
of the mighty palm in which I lived were torn and ripped
Thrown
out to sea
Worst
of all,
All my friends
The ones I
had known forever
Were
launched to the ocean
And swallowed by the waves
As I
helplessly sat in the coarse sand
Watching
them leave my coconut life
Now I’m just a lonely coconut
An old brown coconut
Sitting
on the beach
Hoping my friends will return…
They
will someday… I know it
Owen Donelle,
grade 6
SECOND PLACE:
I
Fall
I
fall
slowly
drifting
to the ground
soaring
this way and that way swaying in the wind
I land
The
harsh winter air hits my face and sends me flying back into the air
I
join my brothers and sister as I settle down for the second time
Suddenly
a
great big hand comes down and picks me up
I
get packed into a ball and thrown in the air
The
wind whistles through my ears
SMACK!
I
hit a tree and stick
unable
to free myself
Slowly
Painstakingly
I
slide down the bark and rejoin my friends
It
rains
I
can feel
the
big
wet
drops
hitting my face
The
water splashes
sending
shivers down my spine
It’s
cold
I
freeze
The
clouds part and I see the sun shining bright
I
lay there
all
day
watching
the sun slowly melt my brothers and sisters
always
scared that it will be my turn next
I
melt
I
feel the sun’s rays beating down on me
I go
slowly
at
first
then
faster
I
evaporate
turning
into nothing but air
I
rise
Jonathan
Castner, grade 6
THIRD PLACE:
The
Jolly Pirate Ship
Standing
on the edge
of the
jolly pirate’s ship.
I
feel the breeze
play
with my hair.
Looking
down
into
the water.
What
will I find?
I
jump into the water.
SPLASH!
It’s
as warm
as
bathtub water.
I
hear bubbles
sizzle
up to the surface.
The
ocean tastes
and
smells like saltines.
Shipwreck
with algae growing on it,
dark
holes spotted the wood
halfway
sunken into the sand.
How
did that happen?
Coral
reef with
millions
of colorful
fish,
sea life, and plants.
Angel,
tuna, and clown fish.
Seaweed,
barnacles, coral and more.
Like
an underwater rainbow of confetti.
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Beautiful
starfish
Cotton
candy pink, tropical tangerine orange,
Bumblebee
yellow and plum purple.
I
realized I haven’t seen one in so long.
Standing
on the edge
of
the jolly pirate’s shop,
As
the sun sinks into the ocean
leaving
streaks of pink and red behind.
Mariah
Reisner, grade 6
HONORABLE MENTION:
Anguish
Nothing
to do
nothing
to see
darkness
has fallen
blackness
I bleed
treasuring
something I no longer need
I’ve
lost my willpower
on
others’ I feed
delivering
sadness
wherever
I breathe
they
don’t my life,
my
sorrows I sheathe.
No
entertainment
no
purpose in life
against
my own death
forever
I fight
alone
I shall cry
hidden
by the night
and
the joys I once had are removed by the light
but
forever I go on
though
life is my plight
my
sorrows I sheathe,
They
don’t know my life.
Evermore
I search
for
reasons not to hide
constantly
living
a fracturing
lie
yet
I always will yearn
for
what’s beyond the light
not
for curiosity
but
for my time drawn nigh
and
now I may go,
and
now I may cry,
no
longer judged by thousands of eyes…
Allie
Hunter, grade 6
HONORABLE MENTION:
Snowy
Woods
It
was a great day,
the
day that Mr. Woods came to life.
With
his button nose,
his
stone smile,
his
stick arms,
his
camo-style Red Sox hat,
and
his carrot nose,
he
was Woods… Snowy Woods.
Now
Snowy Woods
was
a happy guy,
he
would never cry.
He
hobbled around,
with
his cool hat,
nothing
was frightened of him,
not
even a rat.
He
loves to read,
outside
it keeps getting hotter,
his
favorite book,
is
Snowy Potter.
He
loves to try,
some
new things,
even
if it means
his car
gets some dings.
Snowy
Woods is like a joke,
he is
thought and funny combined.
Now
as the years pass, Snowy get old,
but
he still tries to stand bold.
Now
Snowy knows,
he
must go
back
to the land of other snowmen.
With
that button nose,
that
stone smile,
those
stick arms,
his
carrot nose,
and
that one and only Red Sox hat,
he was
Woods, Snowy Woods.
Aidan
MacDonald, grade 6
HONORABLE MENTION:
Ground
The
pounding of Water
covers
Ground
a
coat of wetness
trying
to cause destruction to Ground
It
does not matter
beauty
still germinates out of Ground.
Pink
smudges poke out their heads
green
sprouts out of Ground
darkness
has settled all around
angry
at Ground for its endless happiness
“This
is no happy time, death is around but you seem not to care!”
Ground
doesn’t listen to Darkness because
it
does not matter
beauty
still germinates out of Ground.
With
no Light around
no
one can appreciate
what
still comes up
but
Ground knows
it
does not matter
beauty
still germinates out of Ground.
Ground
knew it would happen
Light
coming around
bring
Destruction
But
as Light and Destruction attempt to kill Ground, Ground just grows back again
An
endless cycle, Ground knows
It
does not matter
Beauty
still germinates out of Ground.
Nicolas
Cerioni, grade 6
SEVENTH GRADE:
FIRST PLACE:
Stars
Little
dancers in the night,
or
are they angels,
here
to cast light?
Glowing
and glittering,
they
sail the skies,
for
little ones to ponder,
with
curious eyes.
Whimsical
wonders right out of a dream,
spinning
and soaring,
so,
it may seem.
Hoping
and wishing,
on
the brightest of them all,
I
find myself wondering,
do
stars ever fall?
And
if they fall,
where
do they land?
Do
they wash up on beaches,
to
rest in the sand?
Is
the Earth a bed,
for
weary stars?
Or
maybe someone comes along,
to
collect them in jars.
Or
do they simply stay in the sky,
watching
day by day,
go
by and by?
They
watch from their posts,
the
children play,
until
the children group up,
yet the
stars have to stay.
The
eyes of children twinkle so bright,
easy
for stars to see,
even
in the gloom of night.
Yet
as they grown,
the
twinkle will dim,
the
chances of it recurring,
ever
so slim,
but
the twinkle only leaves,
to
live in the skies,
tis
when a new star,
will
rise.
And if
you ever need a little light,
some
hope,
or joy
look up
and see
where
all your wonder lies.
Margot Sonia,
grade 7
SECOND PLACE:
Vanished
It’s
me.
Not
the me you saw that cold Fall evening,
when
you pulled me from the ground,
thinking
it might bring me back.
But
you didn’t find me.
You
found a pale face,
darkened
by the demons,
tearing
at my bare flesh.
But
she’s not me.
I’m
not that rosy face,
the
one they laughed at,
reddened
by the love I felt towards you.
That,
That
girl,
She’s
not me.
I’m not that pile of ashes
that
you sprinkled in the lake
the
one where I took my last breath,
the
one where I drowned in the darkness of my thoughts.
She’s
not me.
I’m
the shadow that follows you,
The
memories.
For
that is the only part of me that hasn’t perished.
Sophie
Atkins, grade 7
THIRD PLACE:
The
Unwanted Toy
There
it lay
peeling
from the
relentless
sun
coated
with
a
film of dust.
Missing
a wheel
and
with a
broken
axle, too,
no
one wants it.
In
despair, it
goes
its days
hoping
a better fate
is
in its future.
Now
with a
home
to name own
and
the watchful eye
of a
compatible soul,
it
plays its content
because
life isn’t
perfect,
but
how
you handle it
gets
you close
enough.
With
a red
glossy
glow
and
a new
shiny
wheel,
a
wish fulfilled
echoes
a star-filled,
joyous
night.
Eric
D’Eon, grade 7
HONORABLE MENTION:
Trapped
I
stand there every day,
Waiting.
Watching.
My
toes, sticky with gum,
mindlessly
thrown onto my steel body.
I’m
stuck in the same position,
my
jammed gun welded onto my shoulder.
Defenseless
as
children pass by smiling but not at me.
Someway
I will move,
but
not willingly.
I
will not move to stretch,
Not
to deliver my hidden message.
I
will move to a new prison,
trapped
in a fountain.
Waiting.
Watching.
Frowning
Andrew
Spratt, grade 7
HONORABLE MENTION:
Death
of a Marshmallow
Help
me!
They’ll
burn off my skin,
Boil
me until I melt!
In
chocolate.
I
was always taught to fear it.
“Hot
Chocolate”
It
makes me hot just thinking about it.
AHHHHHH!
They’re
putting me in.
Here
I go.
Tell
my parents I have always loved them
Because
I will die today.
But
my sticky sweet soul will blend
With
the creamy and rich essence
Of
hot chocolate.
How
bittersweet is the death
Of a
marshmallow.
Sarah
Leonard, grade 7
HONORABLE MENTION:
Wishes
Every
night I wish
To the clock at 11:11
To shooting stars in the
sky.
I
wished for a time machine
For super speed
For a billion dollars.
But
none of my wishes ever came true.
I
tried harder
Wishing on dandelions
Wishing on four leaf
clovers
Wishing on
birthday candles.
But
still, none of them came true.
But
one day
I wished for someone else
And it came true!
Even
though I couldn’t see it coming true
I could feel
it
Deep
in my bones
Like
a strike of lightning
I
realized then that all of my wishes had already come true.
I
was healthy
I was happy
I had people who loved
me.
I
went to school and one day would have a job
I had power to speak
out.
I
also realized that my wishes would never be answered
Because wishes were reserved for
those less fortunate
Those who were
Sick
Sad, Unloved and Lonely.
Those
without an education who might never get a job,
Those whose voice is blocked by
others.
So, I still wish every day and every
night
Only now it’s never for
myself.
Elise
DiTullio, grade 7
EIGHTH GRADE:
FIRST PLACE:
Top
Cheddar
Flying
down the ice is an opposing player,
My
defense is useless as per usual,
Zooming
on down the middle, puck on his stick.
Readying
myself
The
player skates in
As is
come out of my crease I think
Why
don’t I mix it up a bit?
The
player tries to
Dodge
Duck
Dip
Dive
And
Dodge
But
I just waited him out.
He
starts his final skate up and begins to dangle
He
gets closer.
I
wait.
He’s
at the hashmarks.
I
wait.
Finally,
he makes his final move. It’s to the right.
I
smile and being the most epic save of all time
Slide
to the right
Fall
back
Bring
one pad over the other and
Stack.
The. Pads.
I
hear the shot fly off his stick a second later and brace for the impact
But
it never comes.
I
look back and see the puck suspended in the top of the net.
Top
Cheddar.
Blake Winsmann,
grade 8
SECOND PLACE:
Ode
to Hockey Skates
When
I lace you up, skates,
I
get an amazing feeling.
As
you get
Tighter
and
tighter,
It
feels like power and explosiveness,
like
I can do anything.
I
can smell a stench of opportunity,
hard
work,
and
effort.
When
I put you on I think of
all
the hard work
I
put in to make me better,
and
it all comes down to these moments.
My
mind is soley on the game.
I
can feel a sense of
urgency,
hype.
I
explode onto the rink.
The
steel blades dig deep
into
the fresh ice.
It’s
the most tremendous feeling.
I
could not live without you.
Hockey
would not be played.
Ice
would have no point.
It
would just stand forever,
No
reason for cold air,
Absolutely
no reason for me,
My
life would be pointless.
You
are the greatest, skates.
Jack
Wanamaker, grade 8
THIRD PLACE:
Floorless
I
lay there motionless.
I am
always here.
Every
day the same routine.
I am
frozen.
No
one cares.
I am
paralyzed.
No
one sees.
I am
transfixed.
No
one hears.
I am
always there for you.
I am
stepped over,
stomped
on.
The
weight on my shoulders,
Is
too much to bear.
Almost
everyone forgets about me.
It’s
a pity,
you’d
think.
I
never get a thank you,
or a
sorry.
But
why would I,
I am
just a floor.
Sydney Machado and
Haley May, grade 8
HONORABLE MENTION:
Turning
Shoes
I
can’t live without you.
the
pointed, turned out feet
you
helped me show.
The
perfect turns you helped me perform.
You
make me a better dancer.
My
performance triples in
energy,
elegance, and emotion.
I
can taste the determination
as
it drips down my face.
When
I slip you on, I am
thrilled
to get up and dance.
The
assurance that these shoes won’t fall off
is
the best in the world.
When
I slide you across the floor,
I
hear my instructor: 5, 6, 7, 8.
When
I don’t turn,
the
world doesn’t turn,
and
my world would be in darkness without you.
Amy
Doran, grade 8
HIGH
SCHOOL:
FIRST PLACE:
Quixotic Thoughts
I tell
you things I haven’t even told myself
Yet
Leaving
thoughts set out on the table with their utensils ready for you to digest
A feast
of inner fears and deepest desires
Lovely
words that turn into actions as directions
speak and
cars swerve
& the
edge is too close to see in hindsight
&
there’s seconds between
Want and
need & youth is a poison we both drink
&
it’s the way to cope with existence & sometimes
minds
think alike & and why
can’t
this end the way I
Want it
to & sleep is all my
Eyelash
wishes
It’s
turned into a phenomenon and and and
And and I
lose a word again because of the misty moonlight through
These
glass cages
Dreams
are now yet you remain above
Away from
the world
Seeking
the thoughts that will block reality
Wasting
your livelihood for numbness and
Blind
optimism
And it’s
not bad but it’s not real and why
Does it
have to end
Giving
everything only to be slightly shoved
In a
crowded hallway
Because
almost is never absolute and
Dreams
rarely come to fruition when
People
are involved
So aim
not to care
Deviate
from what every synapse tells you
After
these words and don’t let it
Block you
from forming thin veils of smoke
That
eventually break into a home of youth
And
mystery
But
When you
finally wake up years from now
Know that
caring wasn’t the worst fate
Pretending
not to was
Isabel
Stringfellow, grade 11
SECOND PLACE:
Ecstasy
I’ve been taken to a
place
where the grass is
always greener;
a constant sun engulfs
the land,
but the wind whispers of
fever.
Such blissfulness
insinuates
a sap within my bones
that dissolves the cries
and courtesies
of dangers deafly told.
And to the wind’s
forewarning
of red feelings brought
to flame,
I say, what is there to
fear
if love and pain are all
the same?
Haley Neff, grade 11
THIRD PLACE:
On College
May God be praised for college
That enlightens those inside
Nowhere else can knowledge
So liberally abide.
It introduces freedom
As leaping off a cliff
So young men would be dumb
Not to dive into that rift.
Yet looming lies the end
That is the fall’s conclusion.
Count the dollars that they spend
That’s the force of their collision.
Advisors say “investment,”
So blindly on we go.
When we had reassessed it
Would then our course be so?
I heard stories of wild parties
And late nights remembered dear,
Until my eyes grew starry
Above the lower glows of fear.
But an arrow pierced that phalanx;
The thought that later I will rue
Glancing at my balance
And seeing a dragon’s treasure due.
Then Damocles swap lives,
For I would rather wait
Upon a death by hanging knives
Than flames that shan’t abate.
No money then to burn a hole
In empty pockets ignited
By a fiery debt that swallows whole
The man that cannot right it.
Damocles at least gained wealth,
By taking on such stress.
But I will trade my future health
For joy, a job or less.
Then pounding frustration,
As life slants unfree.
The pomegranate of damnation
Has such juicy seeds.
Oh college -- both parts fortune and
dross.
A necessity, that is perhaps the
truth,
But O God, at what cost
Comes that opportunity and prolonged
youth.
Isaac Bleecker,
Grade 12
