1st Place
Kaia Williams
North Hall Middle School
My Rock
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, my special place.
On the fourth of July, just as the sun is going down
Pretty blues, pinks, and oranges fill the sunset,
Vibrant colors of the fireworks light up the sky
I am alone, on top of my favorite rock high above the crowd.
Only the sound of the people cheering below me reaches my ears,
I am sitting on my favorite, soft, ruby red blanket.
The air is chilly and not a cloud in sight.
The moon is just starting to peak above the horizon,
The water in the lake is still with no ripples
The loud sound of the fireworks frightens nearby dogs
I have no worries, I am just relaxed,
This, is my happy place.
2nd Place
Sydney O.
Da Vinci Academy
All in a Single Word
Tensions flare as conflicts rise.
Pain sears my happiness,
Depriving me of a childhood.
A torrent melancholy
dragging me from a joyful life.
Engulfed in a whirlpool of unfamiliarity.
I choke on the absence of truth,
unable to breathe.
The loss has ripped me apart.
Lies ripple the surface.
Scarlet, swirling as dishonest
words scar my heart.
I am hidden under
a curtain of darkness,
a shattered stone
Water turns murky.
They are blind as I
Drown in my silent despair.
Divorce
3rd Place
Tara McCormick
North Hall Middle School
Carolyn Mckinstry: I Am
I am from the church with the loving face of God in the window, from Coca Cola and fried okra at church picnics.
I am from a house on Dynamite Hill with shattered windows as a reminder of yet another close encounter.
I am from the wild flowers at Mama Lessie’s wedding and picking tomatoes in my grandparents’ garden.
I am from singing songs in Granddaddy’s church and a structured family, from Mama Lessie, granddaddy, and Kirk, may they rest in peace.
I am from the family who swam in the pool with the sign that read “whites only” and a family who loved and worshipped God.
From the rule not to go near the railroad tracks at the pipe company and how my name means strong one.
I am from the group of children involved in youth Sunday to show my dedication to my church and family that I have come to love so much.
I’m from Birmingham, Alabama, blackberries picked on the side of the road and gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup.
From the basement of the Princeton Hospital where I cared for Mama Lessie and the church listening to granddaddy preach.
I am from the most segregated city in the south, halfway in the civil rights movement, standing in Pizitz looking up at the mezzanine, but still happy with my many gifts from God.
I am from the streets of Birmingham singing “Freedom” with Dr. King where I lost a chunk of my hair, from Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where I lost my innocence, and from Fisk University where I met Jerome and started a new chapter of my life.
Honorable Mention
Sadie Saxton
North Hall Middle School
I Am
I am an easily hurt but a quirky girl
I wonder about envy and jealousy
I hear bad thoughts about myself in my head
I see the bright lights of my future
I want to be different but it’s hard
I am an easily hurt but a quirky girl
I pretend my dad is healthy and better
I feel a warm hug on a cold winter day
I touch other people with my love
I worry that I am not good enough
I cry because I don't like myself all the time
I am an easily hurt but a quirky girl
I try to understand not everything is going to be perfect
I say don't wish your days away, because later on in life you're going to miss being young
And one day I will do what I want to do
I try to believe that there is good in the world
Even when my world is not so good
I hope for my life to be filled with joy and happiness
Kaia Williams
North Hall Middle School
My Rock
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, my special place.
On the fourth of July, just as the sun is going down
Pretty blues, pinks, and oranges fill the sunset,
Vibrant colors of the fireworks light up the sky
I am alone, on top of my favorite rock high above the crowd.
Only the sound of the people cheering below me reaches my ears,
I am sitting on my favorite, soft, ruby red blanket.
The air is chilly and not a cloud in sight.
The moon is just starting to peak above the horizon,
The water in the lake is still with no ripples
The loud sound of the fireworks frightens nearby dogs
I have no worries, I am just relaxed,
This, is my happy place.
2nd Place
Sydney O.
Da Vinci Academy
All in a Single Word
Tensions flare as conflicts rise.
Pain sears my happiness,
Depriving me of a childhood.
A torrent melancholy
dragging me from a joyful life.
Engulfed in a whirlpool of unfamiliarity.
I choke on the absence of truth,
unable to breathe.
The loss has ripped me apart.
Lies ripple the surface.
Scarlet, swirling as dishonest
words scar my heart.
I am hidden under
a curtain of darkness,
a shattered stone
Water turns murky.
They are blind as I
Drown in my silent despair.
Divorce
3rd Place
Tara McCormick
North Hall Middle School
Carolyn Mckinstry: I Am
I am from the church with the loving face of God in the window, from Coca Cola and fried okra at church picnics.
I am from a house on Dynamite Hill with shattered windows as a reminder of yet another close encounter.
I am from the wild flowers at Mama Lessie’s wedding and picking tomatoes in my grandparents’ garden.
I am from singing songs in Granddaddy’s church and a structured family, from Mama Lessie, granddaddy, and Kirk, may they rest in peace.
I am from the family who swam in the pool with the sign that read “whites only” and a family who loved and worshipped God.
From the rule not to go near the railroad tracks at the pipe company and how my name means strong one.
I am from the group of children involved in youth Sunday to show my dedication to my church and family that I have come to love so much.
I’m from Birmingham, Alabama, blackberries picked on the side of the road and gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup.
From the basement of the Princeton Hospital where I cared for Mama Lessie and the church listening to granddaddy preach.
I am from the most segregated city in the south, halfway in the civil rights movement, standing in Pizitz looking up at the mezzanine, but still happy with my many gifts from God.
I am from the streets of Birmingham singing “Freedom” with Dr. King where I lost a chunk of my hair, from Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where I lost my innocence, and from Fisk University where I met Jerome and started a new chapter of my life.
Honorable Mention
Sadie Saxton
North Hall Middle School
I Am
I am an easily hurt but a quirky girl
I wonder about envy and jealousy
I hear bad thoughts about myself in my head
I see the bright lights of my future
I want to be different but it’s hard
I am an easily hurt but a quirky girl
I pretend my dad is healthy and better
I feel a warm hug on a cold winter day
I touch other people with my love
I worry that I am not good enough
I cry because I don't like myself all the time
I am an easily hurt but a quirky girl
I try to understand not everything is going to be perfect
I say don't wish your days away, because later on in life you're going to miss being young
And one day I will do what I want to do
I try to believe that there is good in the world
Even when my world is not so good
I hope for my life to be filled with joy and happiness