The Center for Creative Solutions, Inc. has announced the winners of its sixth annual poetry showcase for Global Creativity and Innovation Week 2022.
The Northwest Indiana Poetry Showcase had no official theme. Nevertheless, appealing to their imaginations, nearly 150 young poets and four adults submitted nominations.
“Our creative partner, Ester, founder and owner of The Nest in Michigan City, came up with an ‘Inspiration List’ designed to help refresh a memory or spark an idea for an original poem,” said Bill Halliar, Co-Chair. . of the celebration of this year’s Global Creativity and Innovation Week. The results were poems about animals, outer space, boxes, toys, clouds, flowers, food, family, to name a few of the themes.
For example, one poem was about cleaning up the Lake Michigan waterfront. Jeremiah Kilbourne, an 8-year-old sophomore at Coolspring School in Michigan City, wrote:
My dad was on the paper once. It was really fun.
When I got home, I hung it on my wall. It was really high.
I clean the beach every Monday. I’m always excited to play.
I clean the beach with my dad. There is so much trash on the beach.
It’s bad sometimes. I go very far on the beach. I’m going in my dad’s car.
There is always so much to clean up.
The number of entries this year has doubled compared to last year’s contest. At times, “it seemed a bit overwhelming. The huge response to our call for poems made the contest more competitive than ever, Halliar noted. “As always, we were fortunate to have a top-notch writer, Dr William Allegrezza, to judge the young people’s entries.”
Dr. Allegrezza teaches courses in creative writing, professional writing, composition and literature. His main interest is contemporary poetry from the Americas.
Last week, several poets read their works on WIMS. The best poems will also be published in The Beacher, the Michigan City weekly. Each student will receive a certificate and a book containing all submitted poems to share with family and friends.
This summer, writers will read their poems during Art-in-the-Park programs at Fox Park in La Porte. Hailliar hopes the Poetry Showcase will eventually become an adult poet laureate program in Michigan City.
The winners are:
1st year
First: “I love you.”
Samuel Bosch, 7 years old
Westfield Carey Ridge Elementary School
Mr. Byers, teacher
2nd year – Queen of All Saints School
First: “Space Rocketship”
Alea Smith, 8 years old
Mrs. Moskovich, teacher
Second: “Heavenly Space”
Mariah Stone, 8 years old
Mrs. Moskovich, teacher
Third: “Holy Heaven”
Henry Morefield, 8 years old
Mrs. Moskovich, teacher
Grade 2 – Coolspring Elementary School
Premiere: “I like flowers”
Olivia Wood, 8 years old
Mrs Covington
Second: “Clean the beach”
Jérémie Kilbourne, 8 years old
Mrs Covington
Third: “Ducks”
Mariska Losiniecki
Mrs Covington
3rd year
First: “The clouds are fluffy white puffs”
Anna Nelson, 9 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Olsen, teacher
Second: “White clouds fill the sky”
Audrey Nelson, 9 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Olsen, teacher
Third: “Up there is a sky”
Liam Yuknis, 9 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Olsen, teacher
4th grade
Premiere: “The Green and White Glow”
Eli Morefield, 10 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Lohse, teacher
Second: “Hidden box”
Andy Rendon, 10 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Lohse, teacher
Third: “A box was brilliant”
Manny Rocilez, 10 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Lohse, teacher
5th year
First: “How high, how high?” »
Finnian Hendricks, 11
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wellinski, teacher
Second: “Cold Lonely”
Gregory Hopper, 11 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wellinski, teacher
Third: “Far in the Clouds”
Amelia Arnold, 11 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wellinski, teacher
6th year
Premiere: “In the Clouds”
Bruno Cervantes, 12 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Champagne, teacher
Second: “Hello, goodbye”
Elijah Arnold, 12 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Champagne, teacher
Third: “The Clouds Hide”
Elijah Arnold, 12 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Champagne, teacher
7th grade
First: “Clouds”
Bradyn Losinsky, 13
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wozniak, teacher
Second: “There is a hidden box”
Xander Seedorf, 13 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wozniak, teacher
Third: “The constant expectation”
Sophia Vaugh, 13 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints,
Mrs. Wozniak, teacher
8th grade
First: “I grew a sapling”
Andrew Hoang, 14 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Gasaway, teacher
Second: “Wave a hint to your friends”
Eleanor Crane, 13 years old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Gasaway, teacher
Third: “Goodbyes can be sad”
Madison Woodruff, 15
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Gasaway, teacher
High school
First: “Please stay a little longer”
Samantha Williams, 16 and Junior
Chesterton High School
Mr. Livovich, teacher
Second: “The long moral of life”
Melody Pearson, 17 and Junior
Westville High School
Kim Klein, teacher
Adults
“My Walk” – Jeannie Halliar (poem below)
“Cross” – Roy Summerville (poem below)
“Thoughts in the Rain” – Bill Halliar
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“My walk”
by Jeannie Y. Halliar
Late winter morning, sky colored with shades of grey,
Trees stand bare near the path I take every day. The humidity and the cold embrace me with the air,
and sheets like rugs are strewn everywhere.
The winds feel like Jack Frost is breathing on my face,
I feel so much peace and comfort walking in this place.
The soothing voice of creaking trees joins the stream to speak,
I never feel alone on this path that I take.
A deer carefully passes me by and stops to pick me up,
there is nowhere else on earth to talk silently with your friends.
******************************
“Crosses”
by Roy Summerville
Leave Wheeler, go to the store.
Out of hot season for February.
The ice is melting on the road.
I can save time.
Speed limit 55 so I’m going 65.
Pick up groceries.
Pick up the kids.
Make dinner.
The radio is on but I’m not really listening.
Truckers in Canada. Russia and Ukraine.
What is an NFT? Why are we slowing down?
Pick up groceries.
Pick up the kids.
Make dinner.
The SUV in front of you has hazard warning lights.
The SUV pulls to the side. Cars are moving.
The driver gets out and approaches for a moment.
She kneels down.
Pick up groceries.
Pick up the kids.
Make dinner.
By the way, I see her standing with crowns in her arms.
They had to be on the three wayside crosses.
Probably exchange fresh flowers.
How many years have these crosses been there?
How many times has she done this?
How many times have I walked past?
They were someone’s family.
They were someone’s friends.
They were someone’s children.
Pick up groceries.
Pick up the kids.
Make dinner.
Maybe I should go 60.
Maybe I should hug my kids.
Maybe I should read the names on the crosses next time.