Winner!

Rain


The beautiful rain washes down from the sky

It stops at the tree and drips from up high

The sound is so lovely

The smell is so fresh

The taste is so sweet

When I touch it I’m wet

The rain pours like crashing waves

Here one minute and gone the next

The rain quenches the earth’s thirst

And brings a promise of a rainbow

Some say it rains when God cries

But I think it is a blessing from the sky

-Cassie Ham
Age 12

Just Dance

Dont be afraid
Join the parade

Of people sweating
'Cause you will be getting

Into the beat
So feel the heat

Run 'cause it's fun
Skip 'cause it's hip

Hop, just bop
Groove, just move

Prance, JUST DANCE!

By Yasmeen
Age 11

School

When coming to school better early than late
and come before they shut the gate

When in class take out your book
then sit and read in a little nook

Class time! Pay attention!
Learn about Tom and his famous invention

Time to go home so hop in the car
or ride your bike if you dont live far

Time to sleep so hop in bed
so sleep well and clear your head!

By Yasmeen
Age 11

The Meaning of Dreaming

Dreams are what you follow
When you are hopelessly lost,
Dreams are things you save
No matter what the cost,
Dreams are what you believe in
When you feel dejected,
Dreams are what you enter
When you are rejected
So follow your dreams follow them true,
And soon the answers will come to you!

By Hannah
Age 12

Riches

They say that times were tough then
That money was very tight
But I remember when I was five years old
And I know that can’t be right
Mom would cook our dinner
Dad would arrive at five
We were all sitting at the table
Waiting for him to arrive
We ate collards, we ate biscuits
We ate lamb and black peas
We said yes sir and no sir
We said thank you and please
Parents to the left of me
Sisters to the right
That’s the way we ate dinner
Every single night
So when you think of family life
Or how it used to be
Though many had more money
None were as rich as me

-Vaisakh
Age 12

The School Day Begins

It’s Monday morning at 7:01
You’re still half asleep; your homework is half done
Your shower is cold; your oatmeal is dry
Your mother forgets to kiss you goodbye
You’re walking to school; it’s thirty degrees
Your fingers won’t work; your toes and ears freeze
Your zipper is stuck; your left sneaker squeaks
Your backpack strap snaps; your soup thermos leaks
You slip on school steps; you trip in the hall
The toilet floods in the bathroom stall
The gym door is locked; the library is the same
The principal greets you by the wrong name
Your classroom is hot; the coat rack is packed
Our bean sprout is dead; your clay pot is cracked
Your pencils are dull; the sharpener jams
Your fingers get crushed when your desktop slams
Your math partner is gone; your neighbor is rude
Your teacher is again in a crabby mood
The morning bell rings; it’s 8:01
Come cozy up to the white board
Another school day has begun

-Vaisakh
Age 12

A Tribute to Family

I don’t know how it started
Or how it all began
But God created families
As only our Lord can
He was teaching what it means
To love, honor, and obey
He wanted a strong bond
That we don’t see too much today
He wanted someone to hold us
And show respect for others
He wanted someone who’d be gentle
And so he created mothers
He wanted someone strong
A support filled love
And so he created fathers
Sent from heaven up above
Brothers and sisters came next
With that an instant friend
Someone to look up to
Someone on who to depend
When he put them all together
He was amazed at what he had done
He created a family
Mother, Father, Daughter, Son
But look at the family
Created by only two
How many we’ve become
And all because of you
We have a lot to be thankful for
The memories through the years
The many times together
Full of laughter, full of tears
I don’t know where we’d be today
If it weren’t for the two of you
To show us strength, support, and love
Like only the two of you can do

-Vaisakh
Age 12