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In-Region Prize Winners
Prize
Winner--Special Distinction
Amy Kraner
Grade 12
Celina High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Chuck Smith
A Subway Morning
A Nuclear Reaction
Dining Light
Displacement
Prize
Winner
Dan Hollinger
Grade 9
St. Marys
High School
Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn
Life's Debut
Prize
Winner
Laura Hosek
Grade 9
St. Marys
High School
Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn
I Am All-Powerful
Prize
Winner
Megan Naseman
Grade 10
Anna High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Larry Gratz
Awaited Conclusion
Prize Winner
Josiah Osterfeld
Grade 11
Coldwater
High School
Teacher: Ms.
Finke
Danger
Prize
Winner
Ashley Phlipot
Grade 9
St. Marys
High School
Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn
Opening Night
Prize
Winner--Special Distinction
Amy Kraner
Grade 12
Celina High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Chuck Smith
A Subway Morning
Light swarms
the confines of glass and steel structure
Where the
hours beat their rhythms, and he marches out
To take the
circuit down underground.
Metals
rattle, intensity looms palpable. Next station.
In a subway
situation, his departure
Exits to
sidewalk. He paces round corners and laws.
Then the
rain percolates
And he
stares at Mr. Vietnam dancing in circles and in
Disbelief at
the man's grin.
But then the
break-out
Jumping
across the hot pavement. A vision restored:
Clear tears
shimmer down a fresh face.
One dance
and he stands still, and people are staring
In their
vicarious manner.
A mind opens
wide as it can. All worries gone.
Floating and
twisting their own ways. Now he goes on
A cupful of
hopes;
Heart to
lighten the cold darkness.
Prize
Winner--Special Distinction
Amy Kraner
Grade 12
Celina High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Chuck Smith
A Nuclear Reaction
A most
blatant revelation
Casting
doubts and harsh reality
A screaming
fixture searing the tiles white hot.
The ceiling
melting
Dripping in
chalky plaster of Paris.
Naked
contempt for color
Aging skin
to sallow membrane
Highlighted
angles.
The
florescent halo hums until...
Tubular
Ligation!
Dimensions
dissolve into flat darkness
The truth
forsaken
Suffer
blindness and ringing pains
Repent.
Walk the way
of the enlightened
Or plunge .
. .
Current is
returned to proper appliance.
Prize
Winner--Special Distinction
Amy Kraner
Grade 12
Celina High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Chuck Smith
Dining Light
Van Gogh
swirls through iridescent iris winds
Or perhaps,
Rubious
plaid crossings scream.
Ink
dissolves paper-thin FONT,
Gray bleeds
bloody drama where:
Kitchen
sweet and sour pounces,
Tearing
tendons, torturing tortoise,
Starlings,
pinpoints, prickles.
Nourishment
flows costly.
Sucklings,
lampreys, eels, and squids:
Dietary
delights, distraught patrons,
Plumb juices
scorching copper.
Liver
cleansing wines whirl:
Trailing
veins, spinning fixtures.
Nostalgia,
whim, nor flights of fancy,
Lower the
satisfaction of buttery bounty.
Scalding
ice, frying rice,
Tight,
miniscule bites.
Prize
Winner--Special Distinction
Amy Kraner
Grade 12
Celina High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Chuck Smith
Displacement
Measures the
worth of a solitary life.
Among the
atoms of existence
Swells the
potential
For the high
shrill at the rim.
Around the
wet mouth
The lips
suck in air
Gulping
reason in defense against the onslaught
Of
self-destruction.
Overflowing
The crystal
liquid pours incessantly,
Priceless.
Prize
Winner
Dan Hollinger
Grade 9
St. Marys
High School
Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn
Life's Debut
I'm not
walking through the world of the tragic
But Life's
still no comedy.
I don't know
what the rest of the script holds,
But that's
just fine with me
I've had a
couple love scenes
None of them
turning out right,
But that's
how the Writer wrote it
So my lines
I continue to recite.
It's all up
to the Writer
Who also
directs this charade,
I place my
trust in Him
So my
character is unafraid
I know I
haven't seen it all
And I still
have great expectations
There's
still plenty of time
For future
explorations
Life's
curtain has yet to fall,
And I
anxiously await Act 2 .
Plenty of
lines yet to be spoken
As I make my
Life's Debut.
Prize
Winner
Laura Hosek
Grade 9
St. Marys
High School
Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn
I Am All-Powerful
I am
all-powerful.
Not only do
I express love
But also
evoke hate.
I am a
mother's best friend and
worst enemy,
A father's
greatest fear and largest
hope.
I can make a
promise
Or break a
heart.
Destroy a
life
Or build a
future.
I am
all-powerful.
I can be
LARGE or small
Funny or
serious,
Creative or
dull.
Combined
with many of me
I grow in
strength.
I have even
been known to make a
grown man
cry
Or a baby
laugh with joy.
I have the
power to destroy a mind
Or declare a
victory.
I am
all-powerful.
I come in
all shapes and sizes
From fancy
to simple.
I have
personality
That can
change from moment to
moment.
I can laugh
at one time
Or cry at
another.
I can scream
or whisper.
Rejoice or
despair.
Recognize or
ignore
I am
all-powerful.
Simply one
or two of me
Can destroy
the strongest marriage,
Create a
solid vow,
Or mend a
broken heart.
Three or
four of me
Can slyly
create untruth,
Carry a
beautiful message,
Tear a soul
to pieces,
Or tell of
great fortune.
I am
all-powerful.
And yet, I
exist only
When you
create me.
I have no
power aside from you.
You are my
creator and destroyer.
My entire
personality reflects you.
When you are
happy,
I am happy.
When you are
sad,
I am sad.
I am
all-powerful because of YOU.
Shakespeare
used me to create
tragedy
As well as
comedy.
Thomas
Jefferson used me to
declare
Independence
And to set
our nation free.
Mother
Teresa used me for "good,"
While Hitler
used me for "evil."
Martin
Luther King Jr. used me to
build a
dream,
While Annie
Sullivan used me to
unlock a
world.
God,
Himself, used me to express
truth and
hope.
I am
all-powerful . . .
Me? I am the
Power of the Pen, the
Voice of the
Heart;
I am WORDS.
Prize
Winner
Megan Naseman
Grade 10
Anna High
School
Teacher: Mr.
Larry Gratz
Awaited Conclusion
This whole
romance
thing is . .
.
unexplainable
. . .
these movies
with their
endings,
and all I
get are maybes
and
unfinished stories . . .
we had a
perfect day without thorns
like roses
that are unreal...
like in that
one movie--
that put you
to sleep . . .
the clouds
seem fake
as does this
feeling
because I
though I was done with it
because it hasn't
ended
like I
thought we had . . .
you OWN this
feeling
this HIGH
and
yes
I know how
low to the ground this plane comes,
but I can't
tell
if it has
landed yet . . .
I thought I
had things figured out. . .
and just
that
tingle
that
floating
HIT ME
like a caressing
breeze
and with it
came your memory
so much so
that I
quiver
thinking of
you
feeling you
here . . .
you're all
that matters
yet
you don't
look high on this
energy
it isn't
what fuels you anymore. . .
and once
again
the pen is
in your hand
and you can
write the perfect ending
to a new
beginning
if
you want to
. . .
and I don't
want to come back
to my senses
or wake up
from this
daydream
and find
that we're
where we
left off in the real world
but I wish
somehow
you could be
feeling this too
so that we
don't have to
backtrack
and lose
ground
again but .
. .
we can exist
as we do in my mind
and
pick. things
up
from here...
"and
with that
give
you . . .
this pen.
Prize
Winner
Josiah Osterfeld
Grade 11
Coldwater
High School
Teacher: Ms.
Finke
Danger
When I am an
old Australian hunter, I shall wear tight tank tops
With an
assortment of sports brands that would sensate my masculine curves.
And I shall
squander my retirement checks on hip replacements
And
retirement homes
And
preposterously overpriced medication, and say we've no
Money for
the bare essentials.
I shall
sleep all morning
And through
the afternoon and into the night
And
accomplish absolutely nothing
And make up
for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall pick
my nose instead of doing the hygienic thing or using kleenex
And use my
fingers to scratch my itchy wrinkled skin
And learn to
slay an alligator with my bare hands.
You can wear
pippin clothing and become more stunning than ever
And eat a
whole African bull elephant in one sitting
Or only an
ant and pinewood chips for a week
And hoard
toenail clippings and military weapons And animals' body parts and people's
brains.
But now we
must face the reality of the real world
And have
conviction in the Lord above and not turn away our life tribulations
And set a
good example for the children
We will
extol the Lord and realize all the splendid things he has done for us.
But maybe I
ought to practice a little now
So people
who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When
suddenly I am old and start to wear tight tank tops.
Prize
Winner
Ashley Phlipot
Grade 9
St. Marys
High School
Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn
Opening Night
I stretch
out backstage
Trying to
fight stage fright.
I'm very
nervous now,
Because
tonight is Opening Night.
My shoes are
squeaky clean
My hair in a
bun so tight
My tutu is
straight
Because
tonight is Opening Night
As I step
out onstage,
My dance is
going right
Everything
has to be perfect
Because
tonight is Opening Night.
The audience
is on their feet,
As they
applaud the beautiful sight.
A great rush
comes over me as I think
"Oh,
how I love Opening Night"
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