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SmileyStore.com announces the 2006
Smiley Spring Poetry Contest Winners!
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Meet the Judge
Contest entries were judged by Kimberlee Tyndall of Raymond, NH. Kim is a graduate of
Mount Holyoke College and has been a professional writer for over 25 years.
Judge's Review
"This contest has been the most difficult yet to judge," said Kim, "because there are so many wonderful and talented entries that should all be in the top three places! I'm glad to see that the contest encourages more each year to put pen to paper and express their feelings about spring."
About Shirley's poem, Kim said "Memories Spring has a very calming influence as one reads slowly through its images. Very evocative of memories of childhood growing up in natural surroundings with freedom and sensitivity... Each time I read it, it makes me pause, contented, somewhat wistful."
"I Smile, Tois Blankenship's poem, creates a compelling image of herself," said Kim. "Even though I don't know Tois, a couple of dear friends immediately come to mind, always smiling and lighting up a room by their presence."
"Kathy Peteghem's poem, The Warmth of Happiness, uses a gentle,
rolling cadence to introduce us to the signs of spring, then ties it all
together with a smiley face in the final word," explained Kim.
Honorable Mentions are awarded to additional poems that exhibit outstanding qualities.
"In Smile a Mile by Jennifer Russell, I like the motion she creates with the bicycle," said Kim. "She reminds us of this motion in the second line of each stanza. You can almost hear the wheels going round... I like how she holds the reader in suspense as to the source of her excitement-the azaleas-until the final lines of the poem, building on a theme until its revelation."
"I was very pleased to see the haiku entries sent by Jennifer Short," said Kim, "and would like to encourage this format. Haiku use a 5-7-5 syllable pattern to express one thought. Jennifer's three entries evoke spring images and re-awakening. Highly acclaimed haiku are famous for their word play. Try it! It is much harder than it looks!"
"In Enough to Make You SMILE , by Laura Balcom," said Kim, "she begins her poem by employing a playground rhyming scheme I remember from my
childhood, and continues building her poem with images of a neighborhood
awakening."
"Helen's poem, A Smiley Spring, combines the spiritual, the human, and even the symbolic nature of spring in a very effective way," said Kim. "It's not just about how we relate to spring, but how we relate to each other. A very moving poem!"
"I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the Spring contest again this year," said Kim.
"As always, it was difficult to select the top three from so many excellent entries.
Best wishes to everyone, and keep writing!"
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Childhood Memories Inspire
First Place Winner
Shirley Short of Terra Alta, West Virginia drew upon childhood memories for her delightful poem. "I grew up on a farm and many of the recollections are from my youth - a barefoot child padding through green pastures on the cool soil of spring," said Shirley. Retired now, Shirley has enjoyed writing all her life. She has been published in Guideposts and Reader's Digest as well as numerous stories and poems in newspapers.
Memories Spring
Here beside the fireplace heat,
Thoughts of past and present meet,
I look back with memory’s eye,
To sweet seasons that make me sigh.
I ponder spring times of the past,
Memories that will forever last.
Lilacs by the bubbling brook,
New robins in a shady nook.
Tiny violets to be found,
In beds of velvet on the ground.
Bare toes curled in warming sand,
Sunlight dappled on wakening land.
I recall the child I was then,
The summer before I turned ten,
Spring and I were both a child,
Through the meadows, running wild.
Through the seasons I’ve grown old,
(Due to passing time, I’m told).
Though spring means a new birth;
Warming breeze upon the earth.
So once again I think that I
Will travel back in my mind’s eye,
Back to spring when I was nine,
And life and love were truly mine.
When I watched the snow recede
Where the dainty lilies breed,
Brooks gurgle with winter’s overflow
The ice that melts in banks of snow.
The child within me longs to be
Young, like spring, eternally.
Shirley N. Short, Terra Alta, WV
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Second Place Winner
Shows Outstanding Talent Again
Tois Blankenship lives in Marshville, North Carolina with her
husband Charlie and three children. Tois has placed in the top three spots in each of our smiley spring poetry contests!
I Smile
I smile in case you need one.
I hope it makes your day.
And if you’re going to remember me,
I hope it is this way.
You may be an old friend of mine.
You might be someone new.
At the point when we do meet,
I’ll have a smile for you.
It sometimes is big and wide.
Sometimes it’s just a little.
But if you ever see my face,
A smile is in the middle.
I do not think it is my fault.
I am a hopeless case.
I think that in my past life’
I was a smiley face.
Tois Blankenship, Marshville, NC
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Love of Spring Inspires
Third Place Winner
Kathy Van Peteghem of Marysville, Michigan has special feelings about spring. "Spring is a very special time of the year and full of new beginnings, friendships and renewal," said Kathy. "One major element we depend on in Michigan is seeing more of the sun come Spring. The sun is nature's smiley. When the sun greets us in the morning, we rise to our daily life with smiles, the birds sing louder and all of nature reaches to receive its comforting warmth from such a long, cold, cloudy winter. The sun is a yellow round ball that gives us reason to look up and smile. It also brings life, comfort, hope, and is one of earth's best friends."
The Warmth of Happiness
I’m known as a distance traveler,
a special friend to the earth.
I wake birds in the early Spring morning
and generate new Spring birth.
I greet the rain kissed flowers
and beckon them to grow . . .
People smile, adorned in their Spring jackets
with no more promise of snow.
I light the world with promise
and heal those winter blues.
I am the warmth of happiness and
Earth’s friendly SMILEY shining down just for Y☺U!
Kathy Van Peteghem, Marysville, MI
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Honorable Mention
Smile a Mile
My legs pump the pedals
Faster and faster.
As my bike follows the trails
Of blooming streets.
Each mile that I travel
Farther and farther
I smile at the procession
Of these great spring sweets.
Each spring they flourish
Brighter and brighter
Bringing smiles to all faces
Who observe their treats.
The air rushes by
Sweeter and sweeter
The Azaleas are blossoming
Along all the streets.
Jennifer Russell, Longview, TX
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Honorable Mention
Spring Haiku
The sun grows warmer
Melting the winter snowflakes
The world becomes green.
The flowers blooming
Show that spring has come again
Starting life once more
Time of beginning
For the whole world around us
Awakening time.
Jennifer Short, Terra Alta, WV
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Honorable Mention
Enough to Make You SMILE
No more winter, no more snow
No more wind chill making it 20 below
It's enough to make you SMILE !
Temperatures are warming to 60 degrees
Put away the sweaters, take out the short sleeves
It's enough to make you SMILE !
Flowers are sprouting, grass is turning green
The sunsets are the prettiest you've ever seen
It's enough to make you SMILE !
The days are much longer and the neighbors are out
You feel so happy you want to dance and shout
It's enough to make you SMILE !
So enjoy your spring and the summer soon to come
'Cause before long there’ll be snow and winter will have begun
And that's enough to make you SMILE !
Laura Balcom, Millis, MA
Honorable Mention
A Smiley Spring
Spring time brings on an all day smile
When we take a long day drive we forget about the long miles
It’s not about you or me
It’s about all the beauty that comes from God’s creation
The grassy green gestations, the morning chirps of the spring birds, oh yes
Don’t forget the bright color garments we wear, especially the lime,
Each spring day brings on a ray of cheer, so we can’t forget our smiles,
If you do not have a facial smile, just wear a pin, and it will glow for miles.
Spring time helps you and me,
Be reminded about the winter, summer and fall
Each season God created them all,
Let’s be happy when spring comes, we can give away or sale our clutter, oh yes
It’s spring cleaning time; the little ones can make lemonade or lime,
Stop by neighbors and visitors lean a smile, join this smiley ring, oh yes
Let us look forward to a smiley spring.
Helen Winda-Frye
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First Place - Youth Division
Teresa Rosenberger is 12 years old and a student at Indiana Area Junior High School. "I haven't really written much other than poetry before," said Teresa, "the only time I write other things is in english class."
Our judge, Kim, commented "The images in this poem are powerfully presented. I especially like the 'chattering...toothless old men arguing' image of the gurgling brook. The progression of nature in the stanzas is impressive, building from the delicate to the grand. This is a poem that I would be so very proud to have written myself..."
In her spare time, Teresa enjoys reading, hanging out with her friends, running, and playing soccer. Keep writing poetry, Teresa, you're very talented!
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Photographs of Spring
Tulips
Like a teacup, catching dew
Blushing pink in the morning spring air
Crowded side by side, like little army men in a row, with the
Daffodils
Shake the sleep from their satiny gold petals
Stretch from winter slumber
Blow kisses to the
Sun
Warming the grass
Providing energy for life
Smiles blissfully down at the
Trees
Eavesdrop on baby squirrels and baby birds
Create a shady canopy for grass
Whisper secrets to the
Wind
Softly scenting the air
Gently ruffling hair and tousling grass
Flowing through the branches, liquid as
Water
Chattering noisily in it’s bed, like toothless old men arguing
Minnows dart swiftly through the stream
Invigorated with the promise of
Spring
Teresa Rosenberger, Indiana, PA
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Second Place - Youth Division
Kadee Borg is 10 years old and lives in Lubbock, Texas.
"I smile all the time," said Kadee, "so naturally I love smileys. I love art and drawing and painting. My room is painted smiley face yellow. I have all kinds of smileys, all shapes and colors." Kadee said her inspiration for the poem was "just simply smiley."
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"A wonderful, rhyming tribute to the sunny smiley!" said our judge, Kim. "Kadee shows her exuberance in every word she writes and she included a drawing that added to this delightful poem."
Smiley, Smiley
Smiley, Smiley yellow as the sun
Smiley, Smiley having great fun
Smiley, Smiley smiling all day
Smiley, Smiley come my way
Smiley, Smiley your so cool
Smiley, Smiley jump in the pool
Smiley, Smiley I'm crazy about you
Smiley, Smiley how about you
Smiley, Smiley colorful as flowers
Smiley, Smiley you have the power
Smiley, Smiley your so true
Smiley, Smiley I love you
Kadee Borg, Lubbock, TX
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Third Place - Youth Division
Cassandra Christensen is 10 years old and is a 5th grade student at Granite State Christian School in Salem, New Hampshire. What inspired Cassandra most is her dad. "He is really good at writing poems so I thought I would try too," said Cassandra. "I like to write about spring and flowers blooming," said Cassandra, "most of my poems are about spring." Her favorite activies are rollerblading, biking, hiking, playing with her pets, looking at stars, reading and going to parties.
Kim commented that "Cassandra compares smiles and springtime in a wonderfully engaging poem. Both brings her joy and happiness, as her poem brings joy and happiness to each reader. Hurray for Cassandra!"
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Smiles or Spring?
Smiles bring joy and happiness over the hours.
While spring brings April showers and May flowers.
A heart is touched everyday.
People can say Hurray! Springtime is on its way!
What's better spring or smiles?
To me they pretty much mean the same thing.
Joy and happiness.
And flowers and hummingbirds.
Well, joy and happiness is brought in the spring.
And flowers and hummingbirds bring smiles.
So, why don't you smile today.
For you have your whole life to say...
Hurray springtime's on its way!
Cassandra Christensen, Salem, NH
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Honorable Mention
Casey Ayres provides very cute imagery of a smiley child with no expiration date on the smile! Casey also sent a second poem telling us that "Spring is the season to be kind." Inspiring words for all her readers!
So Many
Smiley faces happy faces so many different faces
I can't keep up with their paces
I love to see a smile on a child's face
Good thing there is no expiration date.
Be Kind
Spring Spring
It sets off a little ding
In each person's mind
That it is the season to be kind
Casey Ayres, Newton, NH, age 10
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Honorable Mention
Nicole Giusti was inspired to write this poem because she loves spring. She also loves animals and wants to work for the S.P.C.A. Our judge commented that this is a very modern poem with spirit! Nicole uses repetition to remind her readers that each of us has a "spring spirit deep inside"!
The Spring Spirit
When you smile you know you
have the spring spirit.
When you laugh you know you
have the spring spirit.
When you jump you know you
have the spring spirit.
The spring spirit is all around you.
And when you even smile, laugh, or
jump in the air, you know there's
a spring spirit deep inside you.
Nicole Elizabeth Giusti, Salem, NH, age 11
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Honorable Mention
Lydia Wallace was inspired to write this poem when she saw a notice about the contest on a bulletin board at school. She loves to play baseball, football, and likes to cook. Her poem is about flowers and butterflies, and sunshine all the time! Very special images in this short, beautiful tribute to spring by Lydia.
My Smile in the Spring
In the spring my smile would come.
Day and night the sun would shine.
Which would make me smile.
The flowers were blooming, hurray!
I was counting the flowers and a butterfly landed on me.
Soon the sun went down no longer will it shine.
Lydia Wallace, Methuen, MA, age 11
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Thanks to everyone who sent a contest entry!
You brightened our day and were generous to share your talent with us.
Happy Spring to everyone!
Copyright © 2006 Bitwise Gifts LLC
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