I WISH I HAD A TELESCOPE
Samuel Erickson
Grade 5 - Willard Bowman
I wish I had a telescope
To look far out to Mars
Like Galileo and the Greeks,
Who traveled by the stars.
I wish I had a rocket
To shoot up very high
And propel through the
atmosphere
And across the night sky.
I wish I had a space suit
To keep me warm and dry
And a tank of oxygen
To help me to survive.
I wish I had a space probe
With a huge computer chip
To gather information
And help me on my trip.
All of these are fantasies
Not really expected or planned
But if I had a telescope
It certainly would be grand.
IRISH DANCE
Kiera Clement
Grade 3 - College Gate
I see the dancers
Dancing in rhythm
Hear the tap, tap, tap
On the floor
From the beat of the music
Feel the tight
Soft shoes
Around my feet
Feel my itchy
Scratchy outfit
Irish Dance.
IT'S COLD AT NIGHT
Grace Henry
Kindergarten - Chugach Optional
It's cold at night
and warm in the day,
Leaves fall
Bright orange, burning red,
They light up pretty colors,
moving up and then down,
loop-d-looping,
falling in my yard.
LANDSCAPE
Maya Daniel
Grade 2 - Girdwood
When you're high in a plane
You can see a quilt
Fences are like stitches,
Trees and plants are the designs
in each little patch.
The colors are bright
like forget-me-nots.
LONELINESS
Hannah Baskin
Grade 4 - Ravenwood
Loneliness is like fish
Separated from the ocean
like stars
separated from the moon,
It's like me and my best friend
separated forever,
I walk to the beach alone
and I watch the stars alone.
No more sleepovers
No popcorn, soda, and pizza,
I'm lonely without her
I've known her forever,
Now that forever is done.
MEGAN
Sibella Campbell
Grade 3 - Northern Lights ABC
Megan, my dog,
You freed me from that churning
water.
You turned and came back to me
as I screamed for you.
You glided to me over the sharp
rocks
like a ballerina
getting ready to dance,
and you pulled me to shore.
You gazed into my eyes,
and comforted me
as I cried for my father.
Megan, thank you.
NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS
Lucy Thomas
Grade 5 - Homestead
New Year's Eve,
Outside at last,
The night sky
Filled with brilliant colores.
Fireworks explode
One by one
Mushrooms flowering in the sky
Colorful spotlights
flashing all around
Vibrant umbrellas
swirling among the stars,
Vivid palm tree
swaying in the wind,
Lively jellyfish
swimming toward the moon,
Imaginations running wild.
Firework memories
remain with me,
Dazzling.
PUPPY
Ben Daniel
Grade 6 - Girdwood
Smothered in the smell of
Birth
Smooth rippling
Baby fat
Sinister, silky
Untamed, unkempt,
Curling mass of
Silver smooth curls
Enveloping the four-legged body.
Conserving unnamed energy
Growing muscle into
Vast, impeccable sizes.
Snout extending
Nose
Eyes
Ears
Senses sharpened to
A razor edge.
Eyes,
Soft
Caring eyes.
Though one spark
Those soft
Caring loving eyes
Fill to the brim with
Hatred and
Rage
The muscles quivered
His lip curled into a snarl
Followed by a
Bloodcurdling howl
A howl that pierced the
Puppy's every so happy
Reputation
Hackles raised, muscles tense
This is no puppy any more
Wolf.
SILLY BILLY
Sierra Kluever
Grade 3 - Inlet View
Silly Billy on slippery ice
no skates
falling down
getting up
falling down
getting up
angry voice says,
“I'm fine,”
breathing slowly
poofing misty clouds
nose, knees, elbows hurt.
Quite a day!
SKIING
Forest Tarvath
Grade 6 - Willard Bowman
Fast, fast, faster still
Me, a streak of fiery red
You, multi-colored sweaters,
a rainbow along the trail
A rival almost passes
so close I feel his number
Now I see the finish
Fast, fast, faster still
Can the wolf beat the fox?
Can the rookie beat the pro?
I push away voices, cowbells
Flying downhill
weightless on the curve
Focused
Fast, fast, faster still
Suddenly I cross that painted
purple finish
I hear sounds again
I see my dad in his black coat
Exhaustedly I fall
This is skiing
I love it.
Winners of the 1999 Bell Benton Poetry Award
Winners of the 2000 Bell Benton Poetry Award
Winners of the 2001 Bell Benton Poetry Award
Winners of the 2002 Bell Benton Poetry Award
Winners of the 2003 Bell Benton Poetry Award
Winners of the 2004 Bell Benton Poetry Award
Winners of the 2005 Bell Benton Poetry Award
