Poetry Contest Winners 2025

Around You
Anke Zhu, 1st Grade
State College, PA

Dark flowers bloom,
Even if you cannot see them.
A squirrel hears a flowing river rushing by.

An anxious crow holds a twig in the sunlight.
Branches fill the sky like dark lightning bolts.

We are small,

But our hearts may fill up the sky.
We all often hear different things,
But we shall not be deterred by what others think.

Calm
Sadie Simiring, 2nd Grade
State College, PA

Wind, softly blowing,
Owls, loudly hooting,
Moon, brightly shining,
Stars, twinkling softly.
I’m calm.
Feeling good.
I’m calm.
Birds, cheerfully chirping,
Sun, brightly shining,
Me, happy awake,
Fun, playing good.
I’m calm,
Feel good,
I’m calm.
Bye!

Red Balloon
Scarlett Vasas, 1st Grade
Windber, PA

I blow up a red balloon.
I take my balloon inside.
I put it under my chair.
The next morning I woke up
And my balloon ran away…
But, it left a red speck.

3rd – 5th Grade

Dizzy Dogs Dashing
Justin Li, 4th Grade
State College, PA

Barking Beagles bolt and bound,
Bouncy Boxers race around.
Poodles prance, paws patter past,
Whippets whiz by, wagging fast!

Terriers tumble, tails all twirled,
Shaggy Shepherds spin and swirl.
Labradors leap, lick like lighting,
Dizzy dachshund dash delighting!

Corgis cartwheel, Collies chase,
Speedy Spaniels set the pace.
Puppy paws pat, pitter-patter,
Tails twist tight in furry chatter!

Through the fields so free they fly,
Leaping, laughing, chasing the sky
Happy Hound howl, heart all bright,
Bounding boldly into night!

Golden Retrievers gleefully run,
Sprinting swiftly in the sun.

Nothing
Evan Wellner, 5th Grade
Warren, PA

Nothing
When I think of nothing
When I think of nothing, I think of an empty glass
When I think of nothing, I think of an empty glass and a dad who leaves for the milk
When I think of nothing, I think of an empty glass and a dad who leaves for the milk, and my mind

Words of Regret
Summer Crozier, 5th Grade
Warren, PA

The Lemonade spills all over the table
But the words of regret stay inside the cup
As I clean up, I spit out the words
That I do not mean
Because I knocked over a glass
And the words of regret and rage
When the glass tilted
Felt the need to spill too.

6th – 8th Grade

Courage In Unity
Tucker Link, 8th Grade
Dysert, PA

In shadows deep where fears reside,
A flicker glows, a light inside.
With trembling heart and hopeful gaze,
We find our strength in darkest days.

The mountain tall, the river wide,
We face our doubts, we turn the tide.
With every step, a story spun,
Courage blooms like morning sun.

It whispers soft when nights are long,
A melody, a steadfast song.
In every trial, we learn to stand,
With open hearts, we take the hand.

For courage is a silent roar,
A gentle push to seek for more.
In kindness shared and battles won,
Together we rise, two have become one.

For with its power, we’ll rise above,
And conquer fears, with a warrior’s love.
Our spirits soaring, like a bird set free,
We’ll shine like stars, in a world of glee.

So let us cherish, this noble deed,
This virtue rare, that in our hearts proceed.
Let courage guide us on our way,
Through trials and tribulations’ disarray.

So let us go among our path,
Bold and outspoken, excluding wrath.
So do speak out, and don’t be scared,
It is better with these things declared.

Remembrance
Samantha Strieby, 7th Grade
Lewisburg, PA

There once was a time
When I was the queen
Of the lichen and sap
Decorating the trees.
They would listen
Whenever I called their name
And the rain
Falling so heavily
Yet so frail
Like collapsing into the moss
Carried my song through the day
And refracted it golden in the sun.

Whenever I couldn’t sleep
Or felt like a den abandoned by the badger
Reverent silence would lullaby me
Into the dawn
Entering the following day
Singing through the window.

I used to rule the only world I knew
When the celestial bodies would glance down
Their glowing pupils following me.
I think now
They knew all along
That I would look back at them one day
And I would see
The twinkling and winking
Like they were trying to tell me
That no matter how I changed
The stars would stay
And I could reach for them anytime.

The Storm
Evelyn
Morath, 7th Grade
State College, PA

Behind each smile, a shadow lies,
A mask we wear, a nice disguise.
We speak in lines, but hide the truth,
A darker side, a hidden youth.

We wear our roles, both day and night,
But when dark falls, we lose the fight.
Deep inside, we’re torn in two,
A face we show, a soul untrue.

Beneath the laughter, the tears reside,
A quiet storm we cannot hide.
The world expects what we portray,
But in our hearts, we drift away.

We walk the path, but feel alone,
A silent cry in a crowded home.
And though we struggle, no one knows,
The pain that deep inside us grows.

We carry on with grace and fear,
Hiding what we hold so near.
A fragile hope, a fleeting dream,
That one day we might be truly seen.

In crowded rooms, we feel alone,
Each hidden tear, a silent moan.
For masks may fade, and shadows blend,
The battle rages, without an end.

So let us stand, let truths unfold,
Dare to be seen, be brave and bold.
For in our scars, our stories lie,
A tapestry woven of how we cry.

9th – 12th Grade

Human / divine
Ella Wise, 11th Grade
Summerhill, PA

a kiss planted on the crucifix
is standard for a rosary fallen to the floor
as if its newfound humanity could ruin
a sacredness conceived by man

does its brief contact with earth not make it all the more holy?
god’s followers deny the sanctity of the soil
the closer to earth, the closer to god
all the more human, all the more divine

Muse
Ophelia Jennings, 10th Grade
Bellefonte, PA

It starts off soft.

A slow, careful, flowing sound from a low octave,

a gentle flight and an artful chord,

ever so soft.

A quiet strum of dark keys.

A sudden river drifts into vision,

a deep rich indigo water

that plays at feet

and caresses low grass.

The vision is scribed into the keys and lilts playfully

across higher quartz.
Carrying swiftness, then a rushing rapid,

as soft water runs through immortal story pages,

holding tales of old and unknown,

harboring the sweet clear ring of a secret chord.<.blockquote>

A slower progression,
a rhythmic syncopation;

a maple bench overlooking a vivid pond

with books piled on the old seat.

An onyx sky moving like an eternal sphere above

laden with ivory stars.

The hands on the keys slow and waver,
tease and wind down,

and finally are lifted,

and the instrument of the muse is content.

Peace In The Arms of Night
Lucy Buchanan, 11th Grade
Tyrone, PA

“Young girl, do not fret,” the world softly spoke,
With skies painted azure and paths lined with oak.
“Your heart beats with hopes, but nights are long-enduring.
Yet, in whispers of shadows, you’ll find a peace reassuring.”

“But world, I am restless. My thoughts race like streams,
I yearn for a peace that’s unreachable even in dreams.
Each day feels unending, each night brings a sigh;
In the shadows of silence, I’m lost, and I cry.”

“Dear child, hold strong,” the world gently sighed,
“The winds will bring change, like the shifting night tide.
In laughter and sorrow, your peace will weave;
Just trust in your heart, and all your worries will leave.”

As seasons rolled on, she wandered and grew,
but became riddled with doubts through and through.
Her mirror reflected a yearning, a soft and desperate plea,
“World, where is the peace that you promised to me?”

As the years faded away, she closed weary eyes,
the world softly whispered, “At last, peace arrives.”
For, in the stillness of her age, her spirit took flight,
And she found her sweet peace in the soft arms of night.