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In-Region Runners-Up Runner-Up Pete Berger Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Runner-Up Kaitlin Melissa Betsill Grade 9 Wapakoneta
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Dillman-Elshire Runner-Up Brian Boeckman Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Runner-Up Hannah Brautigam Grade 9 St. Marys
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn Runner-Up Jill Colson Grade 9 St. Marys
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn Runner-Up Heather Fifer Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Rachel Giere Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Runner-Up Savannah Heilman-Perry Grade 10 Delphos St.
John's High School Teacher: Sr.
Valerie Schneider Runner-Up Stacy Looser Grade 10 Delphos St.
John's High School Teacher: Sr.
Valerie Schnieder Runner-Up Martin McConahay Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Alexis Miller Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Trent Moser Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Jared Motycka Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Carrie Parrish Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Shonda Pugh Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Runner-Up Evan Purmort Grade 9 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Etzkorn Runner-Up Ashley Reynolds Grade 9 St. Marys
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn Runner-Up Natalie Schwieterman Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Runner-Up Matthew Swallow Grade 9 Versailles
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Spangler Runner-Up Kelly Vonder Haar Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Runner-Up Alicia Wellman Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Runner-Up Andy Wolverton Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon
Pete Berger Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Warning When I am an
old man, I shall wear leather pants With a thong
underneath that makes me look sexy. And I shall
spend my retirement checks on beer and cigarettes And women,
and say we have no money for food. I shall walk
around my house naked And drink
beer and smoke cigars And watch The
Price Is Right. I shall rip
loud and smelly ones in front of hot ladies And tell
every hot lady that she is hot And lean to
get away from the cops more efficiently. You can ear
diapers and become more retarded And eat only
beans, chips, and salsa Or only
sleep for an hour And hoard
Viagra pills and beer and Playboy and
stuff But now we
must be good And dress
right and not go around naked And set a
good example for the children We will be
good and cool 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 thongs. Kaitlin Melissa Betsill Grade 9 Wapakoneta
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Dillman-Elshire Denial Knowing I
can't have you anymore Is like
telling someone They can no
longer have water It's
essential to live Not touching
you is like being locked up With a
thousand scorpions Not seeing
you Is as bad as
being shut up In an
airtight room With no
space to move Not being
able to know you Is like
dying 1000 deaths Each time
with increasing pain But your
denial of what is true Is just as
bad as non-existence Not having,
not touching Not knowing,
nor sight, No
awareness, no reality, No feeling,
nor flight Your denial
makes it just as bad as Not being
here at all . . . Brian Boeckman Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke I Hate To tell you
the truth, I hate capri pants Except when
they're on a really hott girl Where it
really does not matter what she wears And I hate
the color brown Unless it's
a nice juicy steak when I'm famished Or if it's
the light brown color of sand on a sunny beach To tell you
the truth, I hate coming to school early Unless I'm
already wide awake When I do
not have anything better to do And I detest
Nsync Unless there
are a bunch of hott girls dancing to them To tell you
the truth, I hate when people ask too many questions I avoid
people who ask questions when I can Except if
it's a girl I like Who I can
always talk to And I hate
slow rock Unless it's
Led Zeppelin And, if the
truth be known, I hate turning in homework late, Except if
the teacher doesn't take off points And I hate
brown nosing Unless it's
me brown nosing Trying to
bring up my grades And, to tell
you the truth, I hate Bette Midler No
exceptions! Hannah Brautigam Grade 9 St. Marys
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn A Colorful Compromise Once at a
place in the sky, where blue was the only color seen, Lived the
Blue Blurps, who were really quite mean. All things
were blue, from the tallest mountain to the lowest stream, Blue was the
best, it seemed. Their blue,
blob-like bodies moved all about, Painting
everything blue, keeping all other colors out. Sheltered,
isolated, they figured that everything was okay, Until they
discovered a group of intruders who got in their way. From a place
in a deep, lava-filled volcano, where everything had a red glow, Lived the
Red Ripples, painting all things fast and nothing slow. Their goal
was to tint the whole world red, "Red
rules all," they often said. No other
pigment was as good as theirs, And no other
color would dare to compare. But as soon
as they reached land, they saw bolts of blue shoot and soar, "The
world can't be blue," they shouted. "This means war!" Both colors
raced to paint the land, "Our
color will win," both sides would demand. From dusk to
dawn, they painted for one hundred days, Blue blurped,
Red rippled, all work, no play. Then, on
that one hundredth day, they met in the middle, They stared
and stared as if stumped on a riddle, Their colors
had some how mixed, The Blurps
and Ripples had made something neither could fix. Then out of
the blue, came a piercing yell, "Why
don't we call our new color purple for the "urp" in Blurp and "ple"
in Ripple. It fits it well!" Then each
side shouted, "Hip-hip hooray!" For they
could stop working and learned how to compromise that day. Now they
knew that there was more to life than the color of their skin, Everyone's
equal, and it takes great, small, and all to win! Jill Colson Grade 9 St. Marys
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn Spins & Throws The snow
blowing all around spins my thoughts and throws them down, It covers the ground
like a blanket. Clouding the view of the city, and clouding my thoughts. Heather Fifer Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon My Paradise The sun
seems to cook Your skin,
as it blazes Down from
the brilliant Azure sky.
Yet there Is a gentle
breeze Whispering
over you. The Ocean air is
an ideal turquoise Hue: clear,
luminous, and Ever so
serene. The lush Green forest
shades most Of the
beauty. Even so In the
distance is a clearing For a
glistening Waterfall,
that, if Capturing
just the correct Sun ray,
creates a Perfect
rainbow. Mountains in
the Distance
provide a Shield from
the rest of The
forgotten world. Rachel Giere Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Creative . . . Be Free, far
away, float upon the clouds, fathoms of the ocean, face of the earth, faith,
fall from grace, fame, foreseeing the future, fate, femininity, frequency,
fightin chance, fill the air with song, figure out, finger prints, flash back,
fleeting thought, flight, flourish, follow your dreams, friendship, fade Realization,
race, rage subdued, rise above the crowd, rant and rave, reach out to others,
real reason why things are, rebel, reckon with life, recognize your true self,
recommend, reconcile with your enemies, record your thoughts, reflect on the
past, reform, rejoice, relax, renew your heart, resist temptation, retire,
revive, run out of time Earn your
keep, earth, easygoing, eat out, eccentric, ecstatic, educate yourself,
efficient, effort is half the work, elaborate the dull points in your life,
elect the lesser person, elders need to be respected, elegant, eliminate all bad
distractions, embarrassment is nothing to be embarrassed about, embrace
strangers with an open mind, emerge, elevate your peers Encourage
yourself and others, endow to charity, endure the hard times, energize yourself
daily, empty your "junk," emblazon your attitude, embolden your
friends, embrace happiness, emerge, enchant somebody, engage in intelligent
conversation, engulf in endless fun, enrich your lifestyle, enter, entertain
guests, envy no one, err, be human Savannah Heilman-Perry Grade 10 Delphos St.
John's High School Teacher: Sr.
Valerie Schneider Madame Zerabella Madame
Zerabella, palm reader by trade, I work in a
small shop and wear a long braid. You'll
remember my bangles and Parisian clothes, but mostly
you'll hold onto the words that I chose. Give me your
palm and for just a small fee, I'll tell
you what news your future will bring. The air
round me echoes and tinkles and sings, from the
chimes in my tiny doorway that brings eager
tourists with curious hearts to seek, what the
enchanting lady of Paris may speak. They push
back the colorful sheers and beads, and on
tapestry pillows they take their seat. In my finest
gold jewelry and sweet smelling balm, I reach
forward gently and ask for their palm. Crumpled or
stretched, warm or cold, The hand is
the most revealing and bold. Rough or
smooth, sweating or small, The hand
describes most of all. The wrinkles
send forth a message so clear the work
that the subject has done through the years. If nails are
chipped and short and thin, they work
hard and long hours from somewhere within four
strangling walls, not seeing the light, for veins
that stream blue on skin pasty white. A scratch on
the knuckle, a scar on the thumb, What stories
tell where these wounds have come from? An oven,
some shrapnel, a coffee break burn, So much can
I from my customers learn. just by
glancing at how deep their wrinkles fold, I deliver
words of hope to which they hold. I tell happy
hands that their life lines are long. The sad
hands I fib that I can't be wrong; Their palms
promise hope and futures so bright then I pray
fate may help them with all of my might. To the tired
hand comes a pledge of good times; The young
ones, success, they show all the signs, I pray that
their wishes may really come true. They are
after all, lies, but what can I do? I am a
working woman just like all of them are. Feeding my
children is most important by far. I'm Madame
Zerabella, palm reader by trade, I work in a
small shop and wear a long braid. You'll
remember my bangles and gypsy clothes, but mostly
remember the words that I chose to foretell
your future with one intense glance at the palm
of your hand. Come get your chance. Stacy Looser Grade 10 Delphos St.
John's High School Teacher: Sr.
Valerie Schnieder My Place When I paint It's just
me. well, me and
sometimes my radio. I'm in my
zone I'm
untouchable, invincible. I'm the
point-guard that no one
can keep from winning. I go inside
myself. Pain shoots
across my face. Love sweeps
by my feet. Compassion
grabs my hand and holds tight. Confusion
numbs my tongue. I'm me. This is
where I go when I
paint. Martin McConahay Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon The Pompous Me. The earth
revolves around it. Everyone is
infatuated with themselves. No time for
others. Must trample
friends in advance. A dog eats
dog world. Watch your
back. A world
without Me-- Peacefulness. Alexis Miller Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon True Love I've always
thought true love was false A figment
created by romance authors Still I
speak of it with a dismissive nod The thought
of violins and hearts makes me laugh My friends
tell me I'm only a cynic They speak
of that special someone Their eyes
glistening with hope The new
"love" ripe in their young hearts I've never
felt true love Maybe it
does not exist But I hope
one day to find out Trent Moser Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon The Orange Feeder so much
depends upon an orange
grain feeder splattered
with cow slobber combined
with stinky dirt. Jared Motycka Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Last One That clock
tells me it's two And I can't
wait I'm almost
through Dancing the
pen to form all these letters If I can
sleep now I know I'll
feel better ABA pattern
with at least eight lines I
double-check each stanza To make sure
they rhyme I have
spell-check, forget Hooked on Phonics A poem about
writing this poem Isn't that
ironic? Carrie Parrish Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Wreck As I looked I thought it
was hers Then I
thought No it
couldn't be Then I
called They told me
it was I hung up
the phone And cried in
my mom's arms She drove to
the hospital To see my
best friend As I looked
at her I asked
myself why her Doctor said
she was a Very lucky
girl I thought
God was With
her. Shonda Pugh Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon Just a Fad 2000: Hey Ho, What's you
dilly yo? Notta whole
lotta, Just chillin Like a
villain. 1990: Hello, Hi What are you
up to tonight? Nothing that
I know of, I'm just
sitting fly Watching
time pass by. 1970: Groovy Man What's up
with your clan? Cruisin with
my babes Far out, rad Words are
just a fad! Evan Purmort Grade 9 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Etzkorn 2 Sides To Every Poem It's not
hard to write. It's not
hard to read. It's hard to
understand. Why I do it? Why do I
write it? Why do I
read it? Why do I
enter it in contest? Then again, Why
shouldn't I write it? Or read it? It isn't
that bad. Not usually
long. But, so hard
to care about. Why should I
care? Why
shouldn't I? All it is is
a couple words In a couple
of sentences. But in this
world what is better Than a
couple of words In a couple
of sentences On a simple
piece of paper. Ashley Reynolds Grade 9 St. Marys
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Kuhn Prayer to Heaven Fold your
little hands lightly. Let your
warmest tears speak regrets, But never
fears because heaven understands. Let the sad
heart over the tomb Lift again
and burst in bloom, Fragrant
with a prayer as sweet As the lily
at your feet. Touch and
kiss the folded hands, Eyes which
are half asleep While they
take a peep Into
paradise. The face
through the clouds of white Holds a hint
of great delight. Even with
death whose fingertips Rest upon
the frozen lips. In the years
to come When
vanished echoes live once more, Pattering
footsteps echo on the floor. Listen; it's
the sound of someone above. Let your
arms fold, little child, as of old, Now a little
child forever young. When you're
done, unfold your hands. Lie down and
pray. Natalie Schwieterman Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Endless Cycle Life is an
endless cycle It goes on
and on for years The same old
restless routines May even
bring you to tears You get
jaded with your life Wishing for
a change And just
when you think the sun's going to shine It begins to
rain You graduate
from high school thinking this is the year Only to
discover The cunning
cycle is again here Four years
of college may go by just like that **SNAP** But then you
go out and get a job And realize
the cycle is back Now don't
get me wrong Life does
not have to be mind-numbing You can make
your life exciting By thinking
the end is the beginning Matthew Swallow Grade 9 Versailles
High School Teacher:
Mrs. Spangler When True Love Dies My heart
aches to be with her I mourn
throughout the day A feeling of
extreme loss fills me I look to
where she sat each day There lies a
rose the color of death itself But I can
still see her there Her laugh
still echoes in my ears Her smile
still shines bright as day Death can
take her body He can take
her away from me But death he
can't take her soul She is still
with me you see Right beside
me she walks and stays I know she
isn't really there Yet her
presence still remains Everything
means nothing now She was the
only thing that had worth When she
took flight my whole world went Now I walk
through the cold world alone My very body
longing for her all the while My arms
waiting ever ready to hold her My eyes,
they see her everywhere I go My mouth can
do nothing but repeat her name I lay in bed
at night and think of her Hoping that
it is only a bad dream Hoping she
will be back tomorrow She will be
back, I know it She just has
to come back My best
friend can't die on me now She can't
ever die I can't
understand why she's gone I just don't
want to What can I
do, what can I say I'll do
anything to get her back Death, take
me in her place She has done
only good in her life This tragedy
was not meant for her I should be
the one to go, not her But I cannot
switch places with her I am stuck
here to wander scared and alone All I want
to do is be with her But I can't
ever be with her again We will be
forever separated Everyone
tells me to move on and forget But how can
I forget the best person I ever met I don't want
to forget her She was . .
. no, she is my best friend. Kelly Vonder Haar Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke The Pinnacle of Achievement I am a slick
and smooth marble That yearns
to roll uphill, Often
striving, straining, struggling to reach that height A new level
of achievement. I am an ant
that uplifts Weight
multiple times beyond its size. A true
survivor the ant Enduring to
accomplish feats that examine strength. I am a bird
that can soar to The clouds
high, seemingly boundless, Yet
pondering of the depths of the ocean And
wondering of the mysteries it contains far below. I am a bat,
nocturnal by nature, Respiteful
by day, hunting at night, But my
character strays from the norm With a
passion for the sun's warm radiant rays. I am the one
who pursues to uncover The rainbow
end and its treasure. My life is a
battle to achieve The jewels
of accomplishment. I am a
fulfiller of insuperable feats Conqueror of
the impossible, Covetous of
dominance, Filled with
ardency to acquire the Pinnacle. Alicia Wellman Grade 11 Coldwater
High School Teacher: Ms.
Finke Gracie She patters
lightly and gracefully through the house seeking out someone to cater to her When she
finds that special someone, she speaks in a faint, high-pitched meow, begging to
be pampered, She dances
around his feet, humming a motor-like purr until she receives her needed
attention; then she simply moves on Gliding
along, her striped tail sways and her soft charcoal coat gleams from the many
baths by her pink, sand paper-like tongue Her bright
and curious amber eyes constantly search out all types of mischief; her
favorites include a fish bowl and enticing crumbs left on the counters When she
recognizes an opportunity to play, her velvet ears perk up and she prepares to
pounce by crouching down, curling her spine, and twitching her tail After a
tiring scuffle with her toy mouse, she flops her miniature body onto the back of
a sofa to catch rays of sunlight from a nearby window After
several dramatically immense yawns, she rests her chin on her fuzzy white paws
and drifts fast sleep. Andy Wolverton Grade 11 Crestview
High School Teacher: Mr.
Keith Langdon God's World The days
come and go; Things give
life and take life. The wind
plays a tune from a dead man's fife. The grass is
still and green. The hawk
sees a mouse and acts out his scheme. The water is
cold and low. Will there
be another day? God only
knows. |