Entries from the 2017 Elaine Wetterauer Writing Contest

Transcription

1 Entries from the 2017 Elaine Wetterauer Writing Contest 1

2 "Sing the Words" Student Writing from the 2017 Elaine Wetterauer Writing Contest

3 THE ELAINE WETTERAUER WRITING CONTEST Each year, Seattle Arts & Lectures Writers in the Schools (WITS) program holds a writing contest open to all students grades K-12 who attended a WITS partner school in the 2016/17 school year. Contestants submitted original poems, stories and comics based on the title of SAL author Jesmyn Ward s novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing. The theme Sing,, Sing allowed students to explore the subjects of yearning, struggle and hope in relation to their personal experiences and to reflect on the world around them. Students were encouraged to fill the blank space with something that they will call to sing through their poetry, prose pieces or comics. This year's winner is Madeline Lee, and our second place finalists are Sophie Anderson and Vincent Ryser. Our editors were struck by the profound range of wit and wisdom reflected in this year's contest submisions, and collected in this chapbook are other outstanding submissions from student writers. We were moved and inspired by these young writers' words, and we're excited to celebrate these creative young minds collected in this book. Cover Art and Poetry by Indra Ram-Greenberg, 8th grader at Hamilton International Middle School.

4 4 Contest Winners

5 Sing, Mother, Sing by Madeline Lee Contest winner Nathan Hale High School, 10th grade sing, Mother, sing sing to me before you leave me sing about your tears puddling up in your eyes sing the high notes and sing the low notes sing I the dark, abandoned streets of China sing the chorus of guilt and sorrow sing about the life I will have sing to God, praying someone will find me sing about how I will never know you sing the words I will never understand sing with the hope that I will forgive you sing, Woman, sing xx 5

6 Sing, Soul, Sing by Sophie Anderson Finalist Blue Heron Middle School, 6th grade My song is a shapeshifter. At time my song is a lone tiger blending into parched grass, unnoticed, Invisible. Then it stretches into an amber mustang, prancing about in the tall swirling plain. Blue sky. Warm wind whisking its mane into the air. Soaring. Wild. Free. Then my song goes pitch black nothing. Out of darkness appears a glowing spark. It crawls, wobbly, into the dark. Gone. Foom! My song erupts into a bright fire. Licking the dark with long greedy tongues as if licorice. A fizzing light in the darkness. My song sprays sparks Of hope to all powerful. Nothing can stop my song. 6

7 The eagle swoops down from its tree. One of few in sight. It glides to the river for a sip of water. Sing, Nature, Sing by Vincent Ryser Finalist Alki Elementary School, 5th grade It is dirty, like a hunter s destiny. After the sip of water, he turns towards the sky. He swings his wings high up in the sky blocking the sun s orange rays, as he claims the high ground. 7

8 8 Stand-out Contest Submissions

9 Sing, Black Girl, Sing by Ruth Aramde Nathan Hale High School, 10th grade Sing, black girl, sing Don t let them tell you you re singing to loud Always remember talking right is not talking white Never be afraid to show them you are proud Sing, black girl, sing Wear your hair out And be cautious of those curious hands, Be quick to escape those subtle fingers, intertwining in your curls But, girl you better not shout Don t be that angry black girl That angry black girl they are waiting to see Pushing every button, asking every question, waiting to for you to be who they see on tv But don t let them get under your skin, your melanin Because your smooth chocolate pigment is too sacred to be poisoned Sing, black girl, sing Don t let them doubt your intelligence Although you gotta work twice as hard To shine your black excellence Sing, black girl, sing Sing for your brothers and sisters that are no longer able to sing for themselves Sing for Sandra and sing for Trayvon 9

10 Because we don t know what some of these cops be on Supporting a system that s broken Not hearing our words that are spoken Sing, black girl, sing Sing your song that no one else can sing 10

11 Sing, little Nightingale, sing by Kevin Myrtil Hamilton International Middle School, 8th grade Your voice is like music to my ears The key that unlocks the new day that I ve been looking for, for all these years Can you not here all of those Applause and cheers of those who love you dear Nor my cries and tears of losing you, which is my greatest fear I know you love me, care about me, and would had done anything for me Even if it would meant diving in the deep blue ocean, in the middle of the sea But my love for you will always be shining brighter than a thousand stars in the middle of the night Greater than millions of glowing light under the moonlight Stronger than of vicious dog s bite More powerful than the fairy godmothers Magic at the end of midnight Yes, I love you Without your perfect plumage, what would I do With a brain as big as mine, would it be true Would you love me too If it is, Than sing, Sing louder than the Tiger growl Louder louder than Elephant trumpet 11

12 Louder louder than Lion roar Sing, little Nightingale, sing 12

13 Sing, Forest, Sing by Veronica Colin Hamilton International Middle School, 8th grade There was a time the forest wasn t filled with fear. A time that remains only in our hearts when we sing. Ever since I was a calf, a little baby elephant, I was taught to help, taught to stand tall. With a forest so big, its important not to forget you re not the only one there. As simple as it seems its remarkable how overlooked it is that others are trying everyday to survive just like us. Back then we were seen as not as a factory yet a puzzle needing every piece, every animal in the rainforest to be complete. We sang the history of our lives together and if one animal was silent, one puzzle piece missing, it was a silence so loud everyone could hear it. When I grew up, I had to experience life as a lonely battle. If it wasn t for the unconditional love of the rainforest I would have been lost a long time ago. A place once loved, now a place feared. The animals, the ones who are alive of course, only seem to look after themselves now but I don t blame them, I do the same. The silence is deafening, everyone can hear it. I can see the loss in their eyes that no else can. The same loss I share, the loss of good times. On the outside I m just as elephant, small and forgotten but what they don t know is that when I cry, I sing. I sing for my family, who taught me how to hunt and now; how not be hunted. I sing for the forest that gave me a home. I know I m not the only one as long as there are whispers in the air. Remembering the sweet harmony of the rainforest reminds me of life s purpose when I start to question it. 13

14 14 When the days turned colder, and the birds stopped chirping, the forest called out to me. When the rivers dried up, when the trees fell down, my voice only grew louder. I screamed for the rainforest, I cried for my home but most importantly I sang for all those forgotten souls. Passed on to the wind, just like how it was passed on to me I gave the forest my best and the forest knew it. The more time that passed by the louder I became. Although I sing, I m tired of being alone, I m tired of hearing the songs of others grow weaker. I m angry at the fires, I m angry at the people who caused the forest s suffering. I was about to give up but then I heard another one s cry. I paused, confused. I m not alone after all. How foolish of me to forget the one thing I was taught to remember. I ve never been alone, there s always been someone. Someone else crying when I was. How could I not hear? When I find that lonely soul I will join them in song and when it s our turn to stop we ll just smile and leave. Bringing with us the whispers of our people saying, sing forest sing.

15 Dear Reader by Brooke Laur Catharine Blaine, 6th grade Dear reader, I wish for you that you don t sit around counting the days gone good bye. I wish for you happy living, and that each step you take is wise & well thought out. I wish for you to smile under the glowing stars, smiling & laughing until you sleep. I wish that as a human you will try and try to show kindness & follow the golden rule. I wish for you to push what you think is capable out the door, gone & good bye. Remember the hands you used to hold Remember the shoulders you used to cry on Remember the times spent by the ones you love. Remember your roots and don t drift far from home. Know that you re loved like no other Know that you re more important than gold & diamonds Know that you smell fine, just like flowers and that every taste you eat is for you. Please know that people care about you & everything you say 15

16 The Singing For Today by Vail Coots Seattle Children's Hosptial, 4th grade Sing when music is playing In the car, on the way to run some errands. Sing when a good song On the movie you are watching comes on. Sing, even if others do not think You have talent. Sing with the courage of a wolf, Deep in the winter forest Howling to its pack members. xx 16

17 Singing is Better than Getting Stuck in your car in the Snow by Ian Gunnell Seattle Children's Hospital, 6th grade Sing like you just got a new puppy. Sing like you found your favorite gaming system, Xbox1. Sing like you re playing board games with your family, Apples to Apples. Sing when your family goes to Disneyland. Sing when you see your first Seahawks football game. Sing when you get to play Nerf Wars with your friends. Sing with pride. Sing with your family around Christmas time. Sing with your siblings. Sing because it makes you happy like a helium balloon. Sing because it s the right thing to do. Sing because it s the thing that brings us all together. 17

18 Life Will Go On by Kate Herndon Catharine Blaine, 6th grade Another day Another sweat I go outside to see our yard transformed into a giant puddle. Our crops have flooded our dog is wet But life goes on. We round up the cattle we get out the boats And life goes on. We cross the puddle like a little kid in rain-boots jumping in a puddle The day is done all is well Another day Another sweat. 18

19 My voice refuses. But I push. The voice wasn t raspy; It was anything but. The voice shakes but doesn t fall. The song is sturdy. But it stops. Silence. The silence was listened to, but not heard. Birds. Their song starts. My voice continues. They sing with my tune. Rushing water sounded in the background. My speed increases. So do the birds. It was no longer a song, but a poem. Sing, Voice, Sing by Izzabella S. Blue Heron School 19