2020 Teen Poetry Contest Winners
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High School, 1st Place
“Dear Lunch”
by Alex
(Hall High School)
Dear lunch
I miss you
The loud cafeteria
The smell of the gross food
My friends
My lunch that I packed way too little of
Asking other people for their food
Or attempting to steal it
The friends that I have no other classes with other than lunch
The fights about random stuff
Maybe boys
Maybe homework
Maybe anything else that no one else would have a fight about other than us
The games we would play with each other on our phones
Roller splat
Temple run
Ballz
Photo roulette
I miss laughing about stupid things someone would say
Putting snapchat filters on people and taking secret pictures of them
Eating my honey fage yogurt
With a natures valley protein bar
And a clementine
Saying “what?!” when I can’t hear people because it’s too loud
It’s never loud now
My friends making fun of me (in a joking way) for saying what so many times
Me thinking of amazing comebacks
When one of my friends would always come to lunch with a new style of clothes every day
Me asking what her style is because she confuses me
My other friend complaining about her classes and homework
I miss
Laughing
Hugging
Sharing food
Talking
Socializing
The cafeteria
My friends
Lunch
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High School, 2nd Place
“Life in Quarantine: a Found Poem”
by Cohl
(Kingswood Oxford)
This is my story,
As is everyone else’s.
Home sweet home wasn’t as sweet,
And the summer that would change our lives seemed eons away.
Nowadays, energy, the ability of an object to do something,
Is something of a rarity.
I attempt to stay positive,
But I am left speechless as the world grinds to a screeching halt.
At home, we have more than we need,
But it doesn’t seem to help pass the time.
As the door of spring swings open, time seems to pass a little bit easier.
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High School, 3rd Place
“A New Normal”
by Allie
Hall High School
It feels as though the normalcy we have taken for granted is gone forever,
Hidden away, just as my smile is with this mask on my face.
But, I am still smiling, as I am still hoping for the normalcy to reunite with our world.
Keep your smiles masked today, so there is greater hope for us to see them tomorrow.
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Middle School, 1st Place
“Happy”
by Ruth
(King Philip Middle School)
loud, bad singing
with none of the swears beeped out
playing cards
french braids
legs dangling
big smiles and loud laughs
the kind where you snort and double over
bright yellow
group hugs where no one knows anyone’s exact location
but there’s enough love for everyone and then some
tired heads resting on strong shoulders
scribbling notes in the middle of the night
dreams too big for a small town
heart too big for a small girl
soft blankets and smooth skin and stars
secrets lost in the wind
strong words chosen carefully
arms around shoulders and steps in time
waltzing down the street
red dresses and dirty feet
big hoodies and messy hair
A hot bath followed by a cold shower
shaved legs on clean sheets
spending all of winter wishing for summer
spending all of summer wishing on satellites
frantic calls and unknown destinies
the middle of a field
everything is infinite
childhood ended too early but adulthood isn’t here yet
thinking of someone that’ll never come
boys
girls
a poem with no meaning
no rhyme or rhythm
spurred on by love
and memories made
that remind her that she can be happy.
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Summer Writing Contest 2020
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High School Poetry
“Familiarity at Sea”
by Charlotte
(Hall High School)
I see myself in the scattered items along the beachfront,
Those deemed too mundane to occupy one’s gleaming collection.
I am the abandoned husk of coral in the sand,
That catches one’s eyes in a fluttering moment of curiosity,
Only to be kicked aside by shuffling feet
When my desiccation becomes clear.
Maybe someone will cast me into the sea,
Where the tides will weather my brittle shell.
I am a shard of brown glass in the sand,
Not quite delicate enough to be called sea glass.
My harsh hickory color wards beachgoers away,
After all, I’m so plain,
With greens, lavenders, and blues proving so alluring.
I am a broken sheet of slate in the sand,
Too jagged and frangible to skip.
I splinter the moment I kiss the ocean surface,
Better left concealed by the grainy dunes. And even though my luster may sparkle
under the summer sun,
Nothing parallels the sheen of pearly clams and glimmering granite.
Despite my perpetual state of neglect, though,
I find comfort in the embrace of the crashing waves.
Unlike the scrutinizing glare of human eyes,
The water envelops all without question.
Once cycled out to sea again,
My rugged edges smoothed,
I am endowed with another opportunity to find a home beyond the shore.
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Middle School Poetry
“America’s Definition”
by Tate
(King Philip Middle School)
Do or die it’s a state of mind
Look close, truth will materialize
We look’in at the world through American eyes
Living in this beautiful country that was built by lies
We fight with other countries, leave our soldiers traumatized
Come home hope to God they don’t commit suicide
Chris Columbus came to America and invaded
Takin’ the homes and the lives of most of the natives
This country balancing the weight of Democrats and Republicans
Teetering and tottering like a swing in the wind
This pandemic hit hard like a meteor, mass extinction
Climbing to the top, come from a town with no great distinction
Sending my message across I got no restrictions
Can’t be trapped I’m escaping like a magician
Mumbling your words coming in and outta transmission
Trying to one up other countries– world’s a competition
Innocent lives taken cause they think he fit the description
Change is coming, I’m not even using my intuition
Still they benefiting from pain inflicting
and contradicting the jurisdiction………
But, hey,
that’s America’s definition
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High School Short Story
“Whisper of Scars“
by Shirah
(Conard High School)
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Middle School Short Story
“Vacation”
by Isaac
(King Philip Middle School)
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