Web Exclusive: Poetry contest winners
Following are entries that earned recognition in the Lincoln County Poetry Contest.
ADULT
1st Place
Untitled
By Katy Waxbom of Libby
Go West.
Get away from the birth of man,
the bed of the sun’s rising.
Go forward—
find your fortune, your future, your worth
each step forging its own path.
Don’t quit,
even in weariness, lack, or sorrow
for each step is new.
Go on to the golden setting
at this journey’s end.
And then—
Go West.
Beyond everything you think you know,
beyond every step you’ve ever made.
There, to meet your Maker,
Go West.
2nd Place
“Going West”
By Lynn Emerick of Libby
Going West
At seventeen the boys all talked about leaving
our northern mining town and moving west;
it had to be better there, they said. They heard
the women were prettier out there, and would appreciate
men like them. They said this loudly
so we would hear, a group of girls around the fire
shivering a little, not dressed warmly
against the cold wind off the lake. We knew the rules;
you waited until the beer was gone. Then they’d come over
and throw an arm across your shoulder; only then
would you be good enough. But until then
they debated California, Montana, Idaho:
everyone had heard of someone
who had gone out west, and showed up back in town
with a new Corvette, and enough cash
to buy all the kegs for a week or two;
somebody’s cousin, or that guy Frankie’s friend,
never anyone we really knew.
In their stories girls like us never left,
especially not like I did, not telling anyone,
in a third hand car and a compass needle stuck on west,
steering toward the sunset and stopping only
when there was nowhere left to go.
I heard most of them never went, but they still talk about it
as if they will, as if they still see themselves,
faces young again in the firelight,
the world wide open in any direction.
Honorable Mention
“Oz”
By Linda LaCrosse of Libby
She wasn’t really wicked,
just misunderstood.
She wanted to fit in, but
her complexion made her different.
She became bitter,
and in the end
melted into oblivion.
Honorable Mention
“Grandpa and I Go for a Hike”
By Karmen McKinney of Eureka
Grandpa has asked me to go for a hike
It’s an adventure, the kind that I like
I’m really excited, I’ll do my best
To climb that high mountain here in the west
“Think you can make it?” He asks with a smile
“It’s a long climb and will take quite a while”
“Yes, I can do it” I say with a grin
“All the way up and then back down again.”
The trail starts here and goes out of sight
The sky is clear and blue, sunny and bright
Up the tall, tall mountain is where we’ll go
He’ll show me the things he wants me to know
Already we see a squirrel that’s small
With tiny hands and feet and tail tall
He’s chattering loudly to all around
A warning of the strangers he has found
“Want to keep going?” Grandpa asks again
“There’s more to learn where we haven’t yet been”
“Yes! I’m sure I can do it all the way!
“Up to the very top” is what I say
The trail goes on—and up around the bend
There are trees everywhere with shade to lend
Needles and bark differ on every kind
Pine, fir, larch and many more we can find
He shows me up ahead a startled deer
She has a small spotted fawn that is near
She raises her tail as a sign to show
Danger is near and so quickly to go
“Want to keep going?” Grandpa asks again
“There’s more to learn where we haven’t yet been”
“Yes! I’m sure I can do it all the way!
“Up to the very top” is what I say
The trail goes on—and across a small stream
The water babbles, talking it would seem
It’s very clear and very, very cold
Rocks at the bottom are gray, green and gold
We see a bird flying high in the sky
The red tailed hawk has a piercing cry
He is circling up there to spot his prey
Finding food for his family today
“Want to keep going?” Grandpa asks again
“There’s more to learn where we haven’t yet been”
“Yes! I’m sure I can do it all the way!
“Up to the very top” is what I say
The trail goes on—and to a marshy pond
A place where Candaian geese are fond
There are turtles sunning themselves on sticks
And mallard ducks are gathering their chicks
Out in the middle a moose is chewing
Looking curious at what we’re doing
The bottom of the pond has things to eat
All kinds of grasses he thinks are so sweet
“Want to keep going?” Grandpa asks again
“There’s more to learn where we haven’t yet been”
“Yes! I’m sure I can do it all the way!
“Up to the very top” is what I say
The trail goes on—and on and upwards still
We see wild flowers all over the hill
Indian paint brush, lupine, lilies too
Red, purple, yellow; there are quite a few
Now we see a black bear over yonder
Into some bushy shrubs he does wander
He must have found a huckleberry patch
A meal of wild berries nothing can match
“Want to keep going?” Grandpa asks again
“There’s more to learn where we haven’t yet been”
“Yes! I’m sure I can do it all the way!
“Up to the very top” is what I say
The trail goes on—but now we’re getting high
We’ve reached the very top and my oh my
Looking out there are mountains all around
The breeze is blowing with faint, quiet sound
Now Grandpa and I stop and take a rest
It has been a long climb, what a great quest
It’s really amazing how blessed we are
To see so much nature, both near and far
Grandpa looks at me, a smile starts to grow
“You’ve done really great; I want you to know
“You never gave up and I’m proud of you
“Look what we learned and the fun we had too”
Up here on the mountain that is so tall
I suddenly didn’t feel quite so small
“Thanks Grandpa” I say and stand by his side
With a grin as big as the world is wide
“Want to keep going? Grandpa asks again
“There’s more to learn where we’ve already been”
“Yes! I’m sure I can do it all the way!
“To the very bottom” is what I say
The trail goes down—and now leads us both back
Along the way we discover a track
It’s not from the wildlife, what could it be
A foot print-and it’s the one that fits me!
Before we know it we’re at the trails end
A wonderful day in time that we spend
Looking, listening, discovering too
Nature of the west with a friend like you
YOUTH
1st Place
Untitled
By Courtney Pils of Troy
When you look outside what do you see?
Clouds that sleep?
Mountains watching time creep past?
Trees staring off into daydreams?
Snow playing tricks on spring?
Or maybe you see the wind playing with the leaves that fall.
I see it all.
2nd Place
Untitled
By Destiny Tallmadge of Troy
Snow slowly melting
Into spring on those
Mountains standing tall and proud
As the clouds floating
In the sunlight pass
Trees swaying in the wind.
Honorable Mention
“Sullen Puddles”
By Blair Adams of Troy
Abandoned playgrounds and parking lots,
No one is playing
No one has their heels clicking on hard pavement
It’s empty, lonely, and dark.
The sullen puddles ripple and toss angrily
No child’s foot has splashed in them
No car tires stirring up excitement
They sit and wait for some type of attention.
Anguish as they feel themselves leaving bit by bit by the process of evaporation.
“Come! Come!” They cry. “Someone let us know we still exist!”
The puddles’ anger grows and grows,
As they become smaller and smaller.
The desperation breaks and they lay still.
Their one wish ringing clear
“Oh bring us the children splashing, the cars sending us everywhere, the people on their
cell phones as they casually step around us. Bring us people who make the music
humans do, so that we may die happily.”
For the rest of the night the sullen puddles became mist and returned to the air.