Lorain Public Library System

Meet Our 2012 Summer Reading Poetry Contest Winners

Third to 5th grade level:

• Winner: Natalie Burton,10, 5th grade, with the poem “A Word Called Orange.”
• Honorable Mention: Gage Wagner, 9, 4th grade, with the poem “Night.”

A Word Called Orange
By: Natalie Burton

Orange is a strange word.
A bizarre, absurd word.
A poet’s worst nightmare word.
A stubborn word that will not rhyme.

Orange is a fruity word.
A citrusy, juicy word.
An absolutely delicious word.
A stubborn word that will not rhyme.

Orange is a color word.
A bright, firey word.
A rainbow word
A stubborn word that will not rhyme.

Orange is a magic word.
A wonderful, enchanting word.
A one of a kind word.
A stubborn word that will not rhyme.

Orange is my favorite word.
A special, awesome word.
The best word.
A stubborn word that will not rhyme.

Night
By: Gage Wagner

No light
In the night
Goodnight
Hello dark, goodbye light
The moon is out

Sixth to 8th grade level:

• Winner: Chloe Mieras, 14, 8th grade, with the poem “Friends.”
• Honorable Mention: Jake Jones, 11, with the poem “Riddle.”

Friends
By: Chloe Mieras

The times when were together,
Are the best I’ve ever had.
Althought sometimes you make me,
Oh so very mad.

All my friends are different,
In their own special way.
And they make me laugh until I cry
With every word they say.
When we are together,
We are very accident-prone.
But we never let each other
Do stupid things alone.
The late nights, date nights, and the
Crazy parties we throw.
We go together as perfect as pizza
Sauce and dough.
Through the fights, the boys,
And when there’s no helping hands
To lend.
My girls and I will be best friends until
The very end.

Riddle
By: Jake Jones

Green I may be
Or yellow as you may see

It creates a stronghold
And it may be bold,
Through hot or cold.

It helps us live,
Because of what it can give.

We help it too
With our CO2

And without water,
It’s grow will falter

I am short, but long life, I shall gain,
If you help me so again and again

Now what am I
Just look up and then apply

And very fast you’ll
Find I’m only simple grass

 

First off, I’ll
Tell you one thing

I’m quite a mystery,
For who I’ll soon be

I’ll give you a few hints –
The answer has a few tints

That was just the first one,
Just now I have begun

A simple switch can change me
Into something I am not

I surround you with the night
My greatest energy is light

If you were to guess me
What would your thoughts portray?

Lastly I’ll make my final mark
Have you just guessed that I am
The honorable dark

Ninth to 12th grade level:

• Winner: Julissa Reyes, 10th grade, with the poem “Para Mi Gente.”
• Honorable Mention: Cameron Schroth, 14, 9th grade, with the poem “Firefly Friends.”

For My People (Para Mi Gente)
By: Julissa Reyes

Fuego, fire, the only way to describe my people, Latinos. We burn up the night, leaving a trail of ashes in our wake. The sun burns with our fire at daybreak, radiates the heat that begins in our souls.

We are hot, and hot headed. It does not take much to make our tempers flare. Our tempers our necessary to live in a world full of stereotypes and racism. I have never met a passive Latino.

We all run on fuego.

Sometimes I wonder if we have gasoline running in our veins instead of blood. Put enough heat next to us and like a propane take, we will ignite. Anger and pride keep us burning.

We rise about the stereotypes, running on the pressure to survive. Mi gente, my people, fighting against border patrol and racism, fighting for independence and new lives, struggling to keep our heads anove water as we fight the current of oppression. Trying to stop segregation in our world. They say we were all created equal, just as long as we stay on our side of the earth.

So we fight; we live life with aspirations, hurts, dreams, rejections, hopes, and failures. They all mold us. Make us into latinos. Weave us together through the struggles and pains, as we wait for the day when we are all considered equal. Until then, we live and burn. The lives of mi gente all consumed by fuego.

Firefly Friends
By: Cameron Schroth

I walk out into the warm night air.
Walking past my shoes,
Without a care.
Feeling the cool green grass between my toes.
Where I’m going,
No one knows.
The night is silent,
And the firefly are out.
“Hello, you came back Kent.”
They signal me by flashing,
As if they were using a code.
I take out my flashlight and signal back.
“Of course, I do as I’m told.”
“Well now that you’re here, lets play!” They say.
The lights stop,
Onle the light of the moon lets me see the tree branches sway.
Suddenly there’s a small flash of light,
As if saying, “Here I am!”
Then there were more small flashes.
All saying.
“Here I am! Here I am! Catch us if you can!”
I run around and capture a few in my hands.
They flash only once,
As if saying, “Aww, give me another chance.”
As they fly out,
Their small wings feel like mini fans upon my skin.
Soon the night grows old.
I start to shiver as I draw my jacket close.
The night is no longer warm,
But now it is cold.
“I must go now, I will return tomorrow.” I say
“Goodnight Kent” The fireflies flash.
I start to sway to and fro.
“Goodnight my friends”
On the way back the moon lends me her light,
And I can feel the cool grass between my toes.
Soon I’m back in my warm bed.
The night is bright with my Firefly friends.
I fall asleep soon after I close my eyes.
I dream of my friends out there,
The Fireflies.