February 23, 2024
The American Library of Poetry Competition is a contest that celebrates students’ creativity through writing. This competition is targeted to school age children from grades 3rd-12th, including tutored at home and home schooled pupils. Each year, they sponsor a writing competition throughout the entire nation. And in order to participate, students must submit a poem written by them. Four of our students, Julien, Nathanael, Abagail, and Duy participated in the American Library of Poetry Competition 2018. Their poems made it to the finals and will be published in the organization’s book called Futures.
As we all know, writing, especially poetry, can be a challenging task that may result in the creation of something beautiful. And this is exactly what Nathanael wrote about. To write his poem, Nathanael found inspiration in the complexity of poem writing. The poem is about a man who didn’t know how to write a poem, but whose openness becomes a work of written art. Or in Nathanael’s words, the essence of the poem is:
“An open mind results in creative output”
No Poet “Sin Poeta”
I wrote a poem about a man who didn’t know how to write a poem.
He had to write a poem about something,
So I had to show him, how to write a poem.He tried to write one but ended up with a hymn and not a poem
I told him I’ll write a poem about a man, who doesn’t know how to write a poem.
I tried to open the door to the world of poetry writing for him,
But I could not open it.It was like it was closed and locked for him, And he could find no key.
I gave him ideas to write a poem about birds, bees, flowers, trees
and of course the beautiful seas,
and yet the ideas he was unable to cease.Running, jumping, hiking, swimming, biking, and diving,
and yet there were no ideas striving.Science, Technology, Math, English, History, Geography, and Art,
and yet there was nothing to get him to start.All the ideas about everything and yet he got NOTHING!!!
So it all began again….The man who wrote this poem about the writer who,
didn’t know how to write a poem, is the writer of this poem.
The One who wrote this poem is “ME”.
The next student whose poem qualified as a finalist and was published in the magazine Futures is Julien Johnson. Julien is a force to be reckoned with, as he was also the third place winner of the 2018 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest in the video category. His poem is a reflection of the process of hard work and how even though it is so strenuous, we can get to nowhere without it.
The Abyss Called Hard Work
Work, the landmark you cannot miss, on the strange, perilous, and bliss,
Branching road of life, you can’t miss this abyss with seemingly no end.
A descent you’re chained to attend, defend and survive or intend
To ascend by rigorous climbing. Don’t get caught in long declining,
As you shall be quickly finding. Rising can’t be done easily,
Standing by brings more penalty, And unwise choices speedily
And evilly, bring you to drown. However, you can still rebound
By working harder and more rounds. Around, you’ll see your ascension,
Fueled by your intense intentions, flying out the pit of strengthen,
Reflection, what else do you want? Out of the hole, it seems to taunt,
Some dive back in to stop this haunt, some not, they dive back to go search,
Digging deeper, finding a birch to help others climb to the perch
then research, discover and aid those who have been unfairly paid
discover a pretty cascade or trade a tool to help you both.
Hard work, without this important oath, no accomplishments can be quoth
As it’s the one form of true growth.
Abagail is another student at Renton Prep whose poem made it to the finals in the American Library of Poetry Competition 2018. Her poem explores the meaning of life as a dream and the bitterness of facing reality.
Bittersweet
Beneath the closed eyes of the one damaged by reality
Life is a dream, unmistakably imaginary
Man are the dreamers who cannot explain
A vivid wonderland unimaginable in our wakeThis wonderland is a temporary escape
For when you wake, the sweetness will fade away
Like sucking nectar from a wilted flower
The bitterness will overpowerThe wanting of this to be all over
The hatred of this world is pulling me closer
The nights we bear
Are filled with nightmaresOh sweet dream, sweet dreams
What a wonderful thing
Our last contestant whose poem qualified for the finals and the book publishing is Duy. He is an international student at Renton Prep whose creativity goes beyond his affinity for words. You can find his process for writing the poem and creating a visual for it here. Duy expressed to have really enjoyed this contest:
“This [experience] taught me more about writing and I really hope there will be another project like this.”
The Road
The road is lonely tonight
Stars are shining in moonlight
Meet me at midnight
In the forest of my dreams
There are billions of stars
Shining across the road
The winds blowing slowly
The only way to make this night better
is you.
The abstraction and meaning of Nathanael’s poem, the reflection on life in Abagail’s poem, the invitation to a stellar escape of Duy’s poem, and the importance of hard work in Julien’s poem got them to qualify as finalists in the American Library of Poetry Competition 2018. Also, their poems will be featured in the organization’s book Futures. Each year, the book compiles a number of poems from students who participate in the contest. The winners and runners up in each division of the contest will receive a prize and a Certificate of Achievement. And the writer who wins first overall, receives the Editor’s Choice Award.
Whether students are participating in a science, technology, or arts project, at Renton Prep we strive to give our students opportunities to use their talents and develop new ones. With a curriculum that reinforces STEAM learning, our school is dedicated to equip students with the necessary tools to strive in an evolving world. Contact us to learn more about our school and begin your child’s academic journey.
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