Contest
Winners
Written Works Contest Winners
1st Place: Sun - Jacob Hauk
I once was told never to look at the sun
As a young boy grinning ear to ear in an open field
Rolling in the grass freshly wet with morning dew
Young, innocent, ever playful and filled with glee
So much, so so much that life had to offer me
Bike rides on dusty backwoods paths
Driveway games until nights end
Passing out in bed, then waking up to it again
The fires of youth burned vigorously
Days that I thought would have no end
Days to weeks, weeks to months, months to years
Pretty soon that young boy was getting older
Voice getting deeper, shoulders getting broader
An awkward stage to say the least
Yet so filled with ambition and dedication
Everything at my fingertips, everything was in front of me
No looking back, because all the good things were ahead
No stress, just anticipation, no fear, just headstrong pride
Ready to go, ready to strive, nobody left behind
The world is my oyster, and I’m going to shuck it
It’s a lot to take in, so much all at once
Everything going so fast, yet it feels so slow
Got to do this, make sure to do that, can’t forget about those
So many people, so many new things, too many new things
Everything feels required, yet its labeled as “recommended”
Going to bed tired became waking up tired
Late night games became late night work
That young boy in that grass field is so out of touch
Anticipating growing up, is now resenting growing out
Out: into a world that I thought cared
I wish the world truly cared
About those birthday parties at a friend’s house
Or those times I’d scrape my knee on the blacktop
But I seem to be the only one who does
Acceptance is the hardest thing in the world
Even if you can accept, you’ll always wish that you had it back
I once was told never to look at the Sun
I guess I’ll just have to accept that
2nd Place: Half a Country Away - Zachary Lyons
Half a Country Away
I wake up this morning
to a text from my sister,
She wants to know
when she can see me next,
But I’m not able to explain
why it won’t be for a while.
I tell her to ask her mom
and that I would try to see her soon.
I’m supposed to be the protector,
the guide, the open book,
But I can’t be that for her
when she lives half a country away.
I put down my phone,
try to go back to sleep,
but its futile, I begin to break
down and throw a fit
in my room. I text my Dad
why he had to mess up,
why they had to leave—
at least our younger brother
won’t have to try
to remember my face.
3rd Place: First Day - Braeden Streets
Everyone loves the first day of school, right? New year, new clothes, and new friends. It’s a day of potential and hope before the sadness of reality comes to ruin your fun.
I contradict others when we have a dialogue about the first day of school, as I like the first day for a different reason. I have a unique power that enables me to study students. When I look at people, I visualize an aura that surrounds them.
The aura communicates the time they have left on earth.
Most of the kids my age have a solid green hue, which means that they have plenty of time left on earth. Those with a fair amount of time have a yellowish tinge to their aura. It probably means that they will suffer some type of tragedy in the next several months. In these cases, the person will unexpectedly be taken "before their time".
When I see the red aura, which I barely see because I live in the most boring town ever, it means it’s over soon.
I always get to class early on the first day, so that I can see my classmates' fates. Today, the first kid walked in, surrounded by a red aura. I chuckled to myself, as I felt sorry for him. Then, the next kid walked in. I was confused to see that they had red auras as well. Once everyone started flowing in, I noticed a red hue surrounding all of them. I wondered why and started to panic. I caught a glimpse of my rose-tinted reflection in window: stunned, and afraid to move.
Shortly after the realization of our fate, the professor walked in with a green aura and locked the door.