I’m Marjorie Maddox. For National Poetry Month, we’re delighted to host the winners of our third annual contest, open to students in K-12th grades. WPSU received over 289 submissions across 20 counties.
So here’s to young authors and their poetic visions! And here’s to the teachers, parents, and volunteers who led the way to such imaginative explorations!
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The winner for the K-2 category is first grader Anke Zhu of State College. In her memorable poem, “Around You,” Anke pays tribute to the power of observation and determination.
(“Around You,” read by Anke Zhu)
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Dark flowers bloom,
Even if you cannot see them.
A squirrel hears a flowing river rushing by.
An anxious crow holds a twig in the sunlight.
Branches fill the sky like dark lightning bolts.
We are small,
But our hearts may fill up the sky.
We all often hear different things,
But we shall not be deterred by what others think.
- - -
The winner for third to fifth graders is fifth grader Summer Crozier of Warren. Through extended metaphor, Summer’s poem, “Words of Regret,” captures moments of rage or regret that haunt many of us.
(“Words of Regret,” read by Summer Crozier)
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The Lemonade spills all over the table
But the words of regret stay inside the cup
As I clean up, I spit out the words
That I do not mean
Because I knocked over a glass
And the words of regret and rage
When the glass tilted
Felt the need to spill too.
- - -
The winner for sixth to eighth graders is seventh grader Samantha Strieby of Lewisburg. Through sound and imagery, Samantha’s winning poem, “Remembrance,” vividly portrays a fond memory of and continued yearning for nature as comfort and home.
(“Remembrance,” read by Samantha Strieby)
There once was a time
When I was the queen
Of the lichen and sap
Decorating the trees.
They would listen
Whenever I called their name
And the rain
Falling so heavily
Yet so frail
Like collapsing into the moss
Carried my song through the day
And refracted it golden in the sun.
Whenever I couldn’t sleep
Or felt like a den abandoned by the badger
Reverent silence would lullaby me
Into the dawn
Entering the following day
Singing through the window.
I used to rule the only world I knew
When the celestial bodies would glance down
Their glowing pupils following me.
I think now
They knew all along
That I would look back at them one day
And I would see
The twinkling and winking
Like they were trying to tell me
That no matter how I changed
The stars would stay
And I could reach for them anytime.
- - -
The winning poem for ninth through 12th grade is "Human/Divine," by Ella Wise, 11th grade, Summerhill, Pennsylvania. In keeping with the Metaphysical poets, Ella Wise is not afraid to ask the difficult question: What defines and divides the human and Divine?
Human/Divine
("Human/Divine," Read by Marjorie Maddox)
a kiss planted on the crucifix
is standard for a rosary fallen to the floor
as if its newfound humanity could ruin
a sacredness conceived by man
does its brief contact with earth not make it all the more holy?
god’s followers deny the sanctity of the soil
the closer to earth, the closer to god
all the more human, all the more divine
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From wherever you are listening, please clap for the winning poems. You may view the top entries in each category at the WPSU Poetry Contest webpage: www.wpsu.org/poetrycontest
May we continue to encourage creativity wherever we find it, but especially in the young.
For Poetry Moment, I’m Marjorie Maddox.
