Poetry Contests

This last December I entered a poetry contest. It was for honors English and I didn't think anything of it since we always have to enter poetry contests. This contest is an online contest. If you want to check it out go to www.poeticpower.com, they have multiple poetry contests for year. They also have essay contests. So when I entered this contest I didn't think anything of it.... until the other day. I got this card in the mail (usually I ignore those because they are just junk mail). I had just gotten home from school at like 6:00. I had to stay late because I had a NAL (National Academic League) competition. Well anyways, when I got home my sisters told me that I had a surprise in the mail. After I set my backpack down in my room I went back upstairs to see what it was. To my surprise it was a letter/card from this contest saying that my poem was selected to be published. You can only imagine my excitement when I found out that I was going to be a published writer. To give you a little back ground on my poem; it is about World War II. I wrote this for one of my classes and it is my favorite poem that I have ever written. I used to think that writing was useless and that I would never like it. I thought that the only time I would write was for school, when I was forced to write essays on meaningless topics; but I was completely and truly wrong. I am truly honored to have my poem published in this book, called A Celebration of Poets. I hope that many others will get the chance that I have been given, to let the world (or the people who read the book) know of their poetry.  So here is my poem.

Breathing

In this world of violence

Failing to ease the pain

As the last enemy falls

Towards our goal, we march

Until the deafening blasts stun us

From the sky they drop

Like rain on a cloudy day

Before I know it my hands are gripping the earth

Underneath me the ground is cold like ice

With every breath I take I wince

Upon this dark hill

Atop which I shall die

Despite knowing the end is near

Around me they all cry out

Following one another till the end

Towards the victory they shout

Towards the victory they cry

This poem will go onto the next stage of the competition, where if I win I could win cash prizes or even a free copy of the book for my English teacher. Little did I know that my sister had also been accepted to be published in the same book! I don’t have her poem but I bet it is even better than mine. If you want to check out her blog go to www.binzax99.blogspot.com. Her blog is also for our honors English class but she tends to post on hers more than me. J