Each year, the library hosts a Poetry Contest for grades K-12 to celebrate National Poetry Month, which is in April. Winners and honorable mentions are selected for grades K-2, 3-6, and 7-12. This year’s theme was “Who Am I?” A big thank you to Mrs. Claudia Wasserman for her generous donations to support the poetry contest and for selecting our winners! Below are our winners for 7th through 12th grade.

1st Place: Josie Perl, 9th grade, Westhampton Beach High School

The Lovers and the Sea

We strolled along the torrid sand

The steam, the salt, the sea, the land

Like a scandal or affair

Trapped upon its lover’s glare

 

This port was wronged three years ago

When, guided by the heaven’s glow,

The goal of dock a ship had missed

And torched the moon with gentle kiss

 

The sea raged for empyrean fools

Who steered that ship so far from blue

‘Til it was stole by blushed above

That great expanse, that death to love

 

You say if we stare hard enough

And heed the stars to hear our bluff

The desperate sailors are close to eye

Though far from home, up in the sky

 

And so I’ll ask you who they’d be

Still shouting port, yet not at sea

You tell the truth, you’d never lie

I should be asking “who am I?”

 

2nd Place: Natalie Gosnell, 12th grade, Westhampton Beach High School

I wander through a maze across my mind

 

I wander through a maze across my mind

With wisps of wishes out to mask my way

And when I try to catch them – disarray.

I put these thoughts behind me, hope I’ll find

Clear space, but all that’s here is undefined

As I go on my journey, start to stray

Into the woods, I see nature’s ballet –

A deep breath in, I feel so unconfined;

I’m spinning clockwise, Time is showing me

The moments that I’ll finally feel free,

The ones with beauty where I can stay true.

They all are off the path I realize;

Sometimes distractions open up our eyes.

I’ve made it through the maze, I’ve made it through.

 

3rd Place: Christian Specht, 10th grade, Westhampton Beach High School

Time Flying

The doors open to my grandpa lying on pearl silk resting in a wooden

casket the color of bronze,

He is dressed in a black suit and a white shirt, and surrounded by beautiful

arrangements of roses, daisies, and other unknown flowers,

I walk down the long red velvet aisle with lines of wooden benches and

familiar faces covered in tears from hours of grieving,

Outside stone benches, snow falling, and freezing tears hitting the ice

covered street,

Two navy guards moving in unison fold the flag and seal the casket with an

array of white stars, with red and blue stripes.

 

Loons hooting sun rising the moon hides from the sun’s beating rays

Stained oak logs and sugar coated donuts

Air so fresh grass just cut walking out onto the cobweb covered porch

I step onto the old wooden floating dock where I fished for Bluegills

I cast my soul each time without a single flaw onto the glass lake praying to

catch a bass

The sun sets over the distant sky as the lake fades to black

 

Veins bulging blood pumping as I wait to face my opponent

August 2017 till August 2018 nonstop training comes down to just six

minutes to show it all

Two pairs of shaking feet step onto the sweat covered mat

Nervous thoughts plowing through my head causing me to lose my

concentration he’s too strong, he has a mustache, or I’m too weak

We fight and struggle knowing only one can come out winning and the

other losing

Head locks fail, Half Nelsons fall, the crowd watches in amazement and is

astonished

The match stops the crowd latches their eyes onto ref

He raises my hand and all recognize the time, sweat, and dedication I put

Into be the victor

 

Cap on, belt strapped, helmet slipped on my sweaty head

Sitting on the bench staring at the players hit the ball high above the clouds

I pick up my bat and head to the plate as the pitcher stares me down

I can feel the dirt below my feet as I raise the bat above my shaking

Shoulders

I look up at the pitcher waiting anxiously to strike the ball

I pray for the best and I let the bat do the rest

 

I wake up in a haze debating to stay asleep

My dad yells; constantly calling for me

I drag my body from my sleep up onto my feet

I eat, resisting the sleep and then I brush my teeth

I wait in the cold shivering and listening to some rad beats

 

March 19th, 2013 my life changed for the better

The world’s population grew by one

My sister was introduced to the world and all of its fun

She wouldn’t be here if my grandma was

She gave her life for another

Mixed emotions cloud my thoughts

I want both of them to be in one place

 

Early in the morn the mid-sized ranch fills with joy

I rush to take a peek at what jolly old Saint Nick has brought me

I check under the tree to see what satisfies me

I run and scream till our dad tells me to go and sit by the delicate Frasier

I sort our presents that are under the tree

I open them not knowing what’s under the wrapping paper

Gifts remaining; nothing but mystery

We get all we need and we go about the day smiling happily

 

My life over the years have been changing

Family lost parents whimper as the days go by after that fateful winter

I lost myself over those few days

I wanted anything but to stay I felt as if I wanted to run away

I didn’t bother to listen what they had to say about not running away

They didn’t care for want I was trying to say

I chose to stay and not run away

Besides tomorrow is another day