Poet’s Playground – July Winners

Age 8 and younger

First Place
All In An Afternoon
Alyvia Allen, Sequachee Valley EC

I love to play outside
Jumping on the trampoline
All afternoon
One time, William dared
“Bet you can’t jump all the way
to the moon”
Can you guess what I did?
Jumped to the moon.
Yep, I did.
He was a little freaked out.
“Alyvia,” he called, “come back”
“I’m going to the moon” I replied
“I want to come with you!”
So he tried.
We jumped as high as the trees
Higher than the mountains
Higher than the clouds
Took a look around…
Then had to go inside for dinner.

Second Place
Lake Tides
David Edwards, Duck River EMC

The tide is high
The shiny waves go marching by
Past the weedy reach
Up the long gray lengths of the beach
Like an army standing height on height
With greenish-blue armor and banners white
On they go to charge to the farthest line
So far, grumbling back they creep
And the tide has turned for another day.

Third Place
Where the Tennessee Flag Waves
Ellison Knox, Cumberland EMC

The Tennessee flag has a triple star;
Flying very fast, good, and far,
If you see it- that’s very good,
OR you might go to the grave and you never could.
My Dad and Aunt once saw it,
And never ever through a fit.
And if they did
A tiny little bit
The Blue represents the crossing of the water long ago;
They had to have cattle,
And they had to go mow.
The red represents the blood for us,
And the white from God’s love for us.
He died for our sins.

Age 9–13

First Place
My Tennessee Sky
Noah Buskick, Tennessee Valley EC

Behold the beauty of the sky,
Look up and see
The tranquility
Starry dots of light
Twinkle in the night
Shooting stars dart toward the Earth
As humans sleep within their berth
Moon beams dance up and down
On rivers all around
As Orion chases Taurus
Andromeda sings a chorus
Dippers scoop the Milky Way
Planets fight to send a ray
The heavens put on a perfect show
From grassy field to high plateau
Other places may try and try
But none will beat my Tennessee sky.

Second Place
I belong in Tennessee
Riley Peters, Middle Tennessee Electric

The sun rises
I feel the sunshine on my shoulders
I know I should wake up
But I don’t
I feel awake but sleep anyways
Then I hear the birds chirping
So I can’t sleep with that beautiful sound
So I am awake
When I step out of my of my room
I smell blueberry muffins in the oven rising out of the pan
The smell dragging me to them
Then I hear the voices of my family
The voices, smells, and feelings
Make me know I belong here

Third Place
Sneaky Crawl Fish
Kalani Kearse, Appalachian EC

As I play in the sand with a bucket and spade,
it gets really hot so I move to the shade,
now that I’m cool I can finish my castle,
but not just yet I see a little rascal,
I tried and tried to shoo it away but there just there it would sit and stay,
I waited and waited for it to leave but somehow it shimmied up my sleeve,
I shook and I moved so it would go out,
then it pinched me and I came to a shout!
The small little Crawl fish came out my sleeve and went out and about as I sighed in relief.

Age 14–18

First Place
Time In Tennessee
Esther Pope, Middle Tennessee Electric

Misty, like evening setting sun.
Oh past me,
Like waterfalls showering.
A blur,
Colors seep into one another.
Melted paint oozes down the canvas.
A wisp,
Fragments sailing on the breeze.
Like fragrance fresh and cool.
Through my fingers,
Like fog that travels on.
Soft and sweet like gentle raindrops.
Still and calm,
Like drifting into sleep.

Second Place
You Are
Grace Kelley, Meriwether Lewis EC

You are wanted
You are loved
You are blessed
You are worthy
You are beautiful
You are not alone
Always remember that no matter what’s going on in your life, you are all of these things.

Third Place
In the Summer Days
Kate Lemon, Middle Tennessee Electric

Times are sweet in the summer days
as sweet as a peach in the middle of May
not worrying about tomorrow or yesterday
times are sweet in the summer days
Sit down and sit still
on a flowering hill
with a friendship and a friend
that you can never unmend
Sit up in a truck that’s dirty and un-smart
sit up there with your dear sweetheart
to watch the unfolding summer haze
times are sweet in the summer days

Age 19–22

First Place
I Was An Island
Mindymay Kendall, Appalachian EC

Within our pain, there is a light,
Although far off, it shines quite bright,
We place ourselves, an island amust,
Our hearts fully guarded, in no one we
trust.
But as the waves roll, and time passes by
Loneliness becomes our only
companion,
The bars on our being rust and break,
And through the cracks, one’s heart
sparks a blaze
This luminous explosion sends sea ships
into a craze,
Attracting all to our island,
Not one shall pass by,
And our souls of the lighthouse regulate
within
That no longer-to darkness-our light
will give in

Second Place
Mountain Daydreams
McKinnley West, Powell Valley EC

Riding home looking
Above the roadway
My heart and mind
Soar away
Into the call of
The mountains yesterday
My ancestors sing and craft the on their
Porches,
The thought ignites my
Soul’s torches.
I daydream of a
Simpler time
When the mountains
Sprang with folklore
And life.
Now asphalt is
Paved
And life is
Urban.
But that life is
Still alive in my
Hopeful assertion.

Third Place
A summer worth remembering
Mary Smith, Fayetteville Public Utilities

A summer with you, friend.
Is a summer well spent.
Whatever we do, wherever we end up…
It is a summer I’ll never forget.
Autumn is far from my mind as I let the July sun tan my skin.
Shorts and bare skin are in abundance everywhere I look.
You are a vision in a blue-skied future.
I wander wildflower-filled hills with you by my side.
A summer with you is a summer worth waking up for.

Age 23–64

First Place
Where Our Stories Meet
Matthew Berg, Southwest Tennessee EMC

A sentence becomes a paragraph,
surface is broken and the deep waters are
explored,
conversations where our stories meet.
I see you and you see me,
hear my voice and ask where I’m from,
and I say.
We bring each page and chapter,
meet somewhere in the middle,
continue relating between Southern and not,
and we see the connections,
ones where our stories meet.

Second Place
Summertime Picnic
Cindy Jackson, Cumberland EMC

Our red and white checkered tablecloth
Under the summer sun
Whips in the wind
Our picnic has just begun
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Always a family fave
With chips and drinks
Brownies and more
Watermelon to crave
Little pesky insects
Long to get a bite
While swatting at the bees
Taking off in flight
Laughter in the distance
As kids play
“Duck, Duck, Goose”
Swimming in the river
Hope swim trunks aren’t too loose
Living in the moment
Soaking up some rays
Wishing a summertime picnic
Was a national holiday

Age 65 and older

First Place
Stained Glass Windows
Sandra Fortune, Mountain EC

Sunlight streaming through the
meticulously
placed pieces of luxurious colored glass,
gently touched by lead strips
Visions of beauty grace each window.
In the old historical church building,
the stunning windows are reminders
of saints of the past.
S mall metal plates etched with names and
dates.
name the honoree or designate the
memorialized person
Each extraordinary window tells
an amazing story
as it carefully depicts a Biblical message.
A feeling of peace,
A spirit of calm,
A quiet moment of meditation
beneath the exquisite beauty
of the stained-glass windows.

Second Place
A Walk at Cheekwood
Cynthia Storrs

A sea of red stood at salute
to greet our reddened hands and cheeks.
The brisk March wind in full pursuit
as crimson tulips lined the streets.
And shoulder stood with daffodils
their sunshine chased grey clouds away.
A soldiers’ cavalcade, they drill
to breeze, bend double time and sway.
White hyacinth sweet scent has won.
Green leaves parade in water’s gleam.
Crocus at ease, their duty done,
while bluebells occupy the stream.
Fleet is spring’s flamboyant fanfare.
If only time could tarry there!

Third Place
Abiding Moon
Stanley Long

Majestic moon
globe of mystery
romantic Icon
photographer’s joy
full moon, bright
for three days
you challenge the Milky Way
then slip away
your moods are colorful:
happy white
angry orange
pretty pink
mellow yellow
ancient cultures
created the lunar almanac
view proud male deer
under a “Buck Moon”
when you shine
in my window
who else
shares the moment?
poster images
of Super moons
capture memories
of times gone by
glad times
sad times
times of anger
moments of fear
monthly moonbeams always near
lighting our path of destiny.