Literary Fair Winner - Manga by Catherine Wu

Congratulations to Catherine Wu who placed first in the Manga category for her short manga based on "Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook" of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Her piece will move on to the district competition. Click on the link below to check it out!

The Book Thief Manga by Catherine Wu

Literary Fair Winner - "Dad Dreams" by Ryder Kaplan

Congratulations to Ryder Kaplan who one first place in the Rap (Spoken Word) Poem category. His poem will move on to the district competition.

Dad Dreams

by Ryder Kaplan

“Hey, son, go play with the other kids!” Dad shoutin’ from the hallway.

“No, I’m busy!” conversational relay.

Race of his emotions; fingers tap tap tap at the keyboard.

“No wonder they call you a fat nerd!”

Well, Dad, you don’t see it, teachers can’t believe it -

Your son’s a lyrical miracle, a true genius.

Tappin’ the keys when the other kids were tappin’ their feet.

Tryin’ to compete for a position as a top athlete.

None have won some still believe

They can run and run to a career victory.

But not your son, no, he has bigger dreams.

Your son wants to be a poet -

A master of the written word, mended by metaphors

Assisted by alliteration.

His mind’s racing, pacing back and forth, in his room contemplating.

Happiness in writing his feelings, but they’re all locks; the keys keep changing.

He sits in his room alone, with his own thoughts,

There’s treasures in his mind, dad’s bringing him down; he can’t open up his own vault.

Flash forward -- it’s senior year.

Dad in the aisle; son’s surrounded by his peers

Watching in awe at his awesome academic achievements,

But Dad’s still not proud .

A valedictorian of the written word

“Gee, Dad, this fat nerd really got heard!”

With praise from the whole school,

And he didn’t have to drown in the pool of liquor.

It was evil snickers

That would come with athletic dreams.

He never let his dad’s lack of approval come between

His poetic dreams and as he stands on the pedestal; it’s quite a scene.

The boy’s complete dream, not deemed worthy

Just because his father wanted an athlete on the football team,

But it’s all OK, because at this moment right now, on this pedestal

Diploma being forked over by the principal or some older

Man that isn’t Dad but he’s glad that he had

This opportune opportunity to tune out of the cartoons and Dad’s rules

And it ended well, for his son, and Dad thinks to himself

“Hey, maybe he’s done with my vision, and he may be fat

But he pursued his dreams, did great, and I love him for that.”

Literary Fair Winner - "The Being of Pain and Destruction" by Camille Adames

Congratulations to Camille Adames who won first place in the Free Verse category. Her poem will move on to the district competition.

The Being of Pain and Destruction

by Camille Adames

His aura shadows you.

His being stalks you.

His dark mass preys upon your soul.

The more you resist,

The easier he snaps you back into his malice embrace.

He can be a massive boulder

Or thousands of ill-sized pebbles.

No matter his size,

His demeanor is always the same,

Onerous,vile, and destructive.

Peers throw him at you.

Pass-byers  may toss a few pebbles your way.

Bullies bombard him as boulders of mass destruction.

He is impossible to dodge.

He always finds a way to seep inside.

The horrid part is

He doesn’t leave.

Ever.

His sting might dwindle,

But his being will never die.

He is forever.

He travels with you for all eternity.

He chooses to bite at times,

But he mostly keeps still.

Do not fall for his trickery.

He is still there, waiting to pounce.

Be wary of him, Judgement.

Do not toss him around unconsciously.

He is a dangerous and powerful creature of Lucifer,

Peace exists so long  as he is extinct.