| Teen poets win prizes Written by Tracy Press/Our Town Three teens were named winners of the TnJPoetry High School Poetry Contest in a ceremony at Tracy’s Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Nov. 4. Savannah Routt, 14, a Tracy High School student, took first place for her poem, “Elphaba.” Fifteen-year-old Anjanette Huitron, who goes to Modesto High School, placed second for “Dark Light.” And Amanjayot Singh Mangat, 16, a student at Millennium High School, placed third for “Abuse Be Gone.” TnJPoetry Inc., run by Timea Frye of Tracy, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of poetry. The judges in this contest were Sue Langdon, Rachel Preston, Jo Hensel, Staci Wyrick and Virginia Stewart. Sponsors were Cost Cutters, Costco and Amerihun Designs. Flystrip, a band from Manteca, and guitarist Christian Justman performed at the ceremony. Here are the winning poems: • Elphaba Sometimes I feel like Elphaba, the one with the green skin. Scorned by society, restricted by laws that come forth from the mouths of jesters. Although I have no man of blue diamonds, no friend of false lace. I feel like Elphaba, the one marked by sin. Nessarose can taunt me, with religion. Though no man of blue diamonds, died for me. Though no Animal, taught me. I feel like Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west. Will I grow to be as; cynical, wearied, unloved. I feel like Elphaba, the one with the green skin, the one marked by sin, the wicked witch, of the west. • Dark Light As she cries to let herself mourn. Her feelings inside are left with thorns. Her heart beats smoothly. But slowly she stops. Gaining the pain is hard to keep up. The angels cry out. But her soul is left. As she sees the dark hidden underneath the rest. She smoothly touches the cold soft air. She hears his whisper coldly, Touching her soft silk hair. She hears his voice in the dark, dark light. As she’s moving toward through his sight. Though his face is cold as death. But he can see her pretty face right through the rest. The angels cry out in this cold foggy night. Together two lovers disappear in the dark light. • Abuse Be Gone! I see it out my window, I see it everyday, when oh when will this abuse go away When can a woman live life with no fear and stop all the abuse with one last tear When can a woman live in peace and when will all this insanity decrease When can everyone unite as one and make all this violence be done When can people see eye to eye and care about another’s cry Everyone’s been hurt emotionally too and they don’t know what to do If only they could endure this pain and end miseries stain Chorus: I see it out my window, I see it everyday ... When oh when will this abuse go away! |
| November 11, 2006 |