2004 Winners | The America Library of Poetry

2004 "Impressions of Youth"

Student Poetry Contest

Division Winners

Division I
(grades 4-5)

Snowflakes
by Laura Rose Mulholland

Snowflakes come dancing down, playing tag
Turning trees to white lace and bushes into cotton balls
Never the same size or shape
Snowflakes, as beautiful as sparkling diamonds
But as brief as a fleeting thought

Night
by Jaclyn Placha

The ebony sky with twinkling stars
Goes very well with the sound
Of lapping waves and peaceful calls
The endless ocean looks like a mermaid’s lagoon
Just for you
The moon looks like a crystal shining ever so bright
And the dunes look like Heaven’s light
This is called the Outer Banks at night

Division II
(grades 6-7)

Envy
by Kristen Ford

I watch them flock to her
Elation to pull even the fewest words
From her pink painted mouth; an angel
Bones jutting from thin perfect skin, graceful movement
Strolling down the hall; a princess
Played to perfection in a world of flawlessness
Eager to please no one, yet everyone; a beauty
Creased in the media’s world, lost to the rest
Yet so much of other girls envy; popularity queen
Sitting on the steps, blowing smoke from her perfectly pouted lips
Yet wrinkle free; flawlessness
In the hall, stacks of books topple into someone else’s arms
Too much for her; controlling
At the lunch table she takes a slow bite of an apple
Then spits it out when no one is looking; lying
In the hall, her boyfriend yells at her
For not being there earlier; scared
As I look at her, I now know not who I want to be; unenviable

Normal
by Jesseca Bieger

Who’s to say I’m not normal
Even though I wear hand-me-downs
And I have had the same haircut for two years
Who’s to say I’m not normal
Even though I obsess about everything all the time
Who’s to say I’m not normal
Even though I haven’t seen my dad since Christmas
Who’s to say I’m not normal
Even though my sisters gang up on me
And treat me like an outcast
Who’s to say I’m not normal
Even though I love to read books all the time
Who’s to say I’m not normal
Just because I hate to go outside
Who’s to say I’m not normal
Because I’m more normal than I’ve ever been

Division III
(grades 8-9)

Homeless
by Sarah Brady

He stood
Jingling only his sanity
In a Styrofoam cup
As years of bad decisions
Cross over his face
His coat
Worn upon his back
Stained with deceptions
Ripped with insanity
And wet with hysteria
But actually
His soul is
A Pandora’s box
Lit with hope
Beneath the skin

Baby Face
by Marya Kaminski

Her chubby rose-kissed cheeks
Wobble as she crawls
Her eyes wide and full of wonder
Take in the world around her
Like a vacuum of knowledge
She totters on unsteady limbs
Tips and drops
But not a tear mars her dry
Powdery cheeks
Her face hardens in concentration
And eyes become like slits
She tries again…
And again she slips

Division IV
(grades 10-12)

First Kiss
by J. M.

Poem removed at author's request.

Maternally Yours
by Heather Leonard

Born into your arms, I expected to be nurtured
Raised by your hand, I expected to be loved
You are the sole reason for my existence
My thoughts, my behavior
How many times have I heard your words
And accepted their meaning as what you dictated?
Only now have I begun to realize
The words for what they truly are:
Hollow
Everything was a secret
Nothing could be traced back to you
Relief
Did you once look to see the neon sign
Placed above your head?
You were supposed to be the one to guide me
And you have
I strive to be all you aren’t
And nothing you are