I’m Marjorie Maddox. For National Poetry Month, we’re delighted to host the winners of our 4th annual contest, open to students in grades K-12. WPSU received over 203 submissions.
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!
The winner for the K-2 category is second grader Adley Brown of Warren. In her poem "Summer Forest," Adley uses simile and metaphor to describe a walk in the woods.
Summer Forest
I hear birds chirping.
It feels safe and cozy.
I hear the rustling leaves and whispering.
It smells fresh.
The forest smiles just like you smile to me.
The leaves run with the wind.
A forest is like a book with beauty.
_____
The winner for third to fifth graders is fifth grader Elliette Fralick of Warren. Slant rhyme, meter, image, alliteration—they're all on display in this poem about a furry best friend.
Puppy Paws
The rhythmic staccato of his velvet paws
The gentle persistence of his rhythmic gnaws
That damp, obsidian button of a nose
Twitches in rhythm as he drifts to doze
He retreats to a realm where only he can tread,
While I watch the golden curls of his head
A silken sphere, anchored in grace,
I will walk beside him through time and space.
_____
The winner for sixth to eighth graders is eighth grader Evelyn Morath of State College. "Parental Pruning" powerfully uses image, metaphor, and momentum to portray a strong desire for individuality.
Parental Pruning
Plucked From Childhood,
Ripped, not grown
Cut from the ground
Our roots, still learning to hold.
You,
You didn't wait,
You never do.
You said bloom,
You meant behave.
You said potential,
You grabbed scissors.
Roses cut for your table, dandelions decapitated,
Because you hate what grows without permission.
So many of us,
Cut down to serve.
Stand still. Smile. Work.
We drink what you allow.
Our sunlight’s your profit.
You,
You feed us praise like scraps.
You ration water like mercy.
You called it an opportunity.
Stunted life disguised as progress.
Withering known as maturity
Grief labeled normal.
Maybe, if we’re lucky,
A few seeds will fall far,
When you aren't looking.
Most don't.
Your mercy dried up,
Your praise gone,
Your profit diminished,
Because we’re not yours anymore.
Just, dead.
And,
You shrug.
Everyone has to grow up. You called it life.
_____
The winner for ninth to twelfth graders is ninth grader Eliza Knott of Gallitzin. Evocative images capture the experience of growing, learning, and making choices in "Where We First Took Root."
_____
When We First Took Root
Morning clung to the rooftops,
slow and sweet like syrup on cold shingles,
the kind of quiet that felt full of something about to happen.
We ran barefoot through puddles,
water splashing up our legs,
laughing too loud,
our hands rough with bark and dirt
and whatever dreams we were busy inventing,
trying to hold on to bits of sunlight
like they might last forever.
Wonder and hurt lived together back then
bright and sharp as glitter on the floor,
pretty until it cut your skin.
We crashed through everything.
Skinned knees. Knotted hair.
Hearts sparking with things
no one ever explained how to carry.
They warned us about getting burned,
but we reached for the flame anyway,
and somehow the world let us ache
and grow
at the same time.
Late at night we made wishes at streetlights,
at the dark sky,
at anything that might still believe in us.
And between all that noise,
we kept stretching upward
awkward, stubborn, alive
learning how to hold each other
while we became
something new.
You may view the top entries in each category at the WPSU Poetry Contest webpage.
May we continue to encourage creativity wherever we find it, but especially in the young.
For Poetry Moment, I’m Marjorie Maddox.