by Valley Teens
These poems were written by local teens who won our November Teen Talk poetry contest. There is quite a variety and this time we even have a winner from Parlier! The contest is open to anyone age 14-19 in the Kings River area. The next contest results will be published in January, 2011. Take advantage of this chance to have your poem published online and available for everyone to read! Any subject or type of poem will be considered with five or more poems selected at the end of most months, details below.
A Tearful Good Bye
by Irma Perez, 14, Freshman Parlier High School
I hate you but why am I crying?
It doesn’t hurt but it feels like I’m dying.
I was over you long ago,
Yet I can’t stand being alone.
Why can’t I shake this emotion,
One of remorse and a somewhat atomic explosion?
Its now my turn to walk away,
But for some reason I can’t go astray.
I hate my emotional imperfections,
The ones that won’t let go of the affection.
Tear apart the thing we once shared,
For I want nothing left of what’s there.
It may not seem like it now,
But I will get through this again somehow.
This is my final good-bye,
For the “can we stay friends” is a lie.
I hate to depart like this,
But it is my duty and heart’s wish.
Step out of sight,
And never come back into my life.
There’s nothing here for us to amend,
Since you got your new girlfriend …
by Dana Davis, 12th grade, Reedley High School
I’m running from the light.
Why is it chasing me?
The light is getting very dim.
I found the shadow;
The shadow protects me
From the evil light.
I crawl away from the shadow,
Afraid and confused,
Worried that the shadow might hurt me, too.
It floats away slowly and quietly,
Into the darkness where it came from.
Until the Sun
by Joanna Rodriguez,17, Senior Reedley High School
Ten minutes
is not enough.
The beat of his drum aches to know her song.
His essence escapes
into a dense fog
as he waits, waits again.
Someone should tell him
her snow-tipped peaks are showing.
Oh, that Fresno.
by Michael Kallio, 18, Senior Reedley High School
The Valley is my home.
The Valley will not be my prison.
The Valley is my hope.
The Valley will not be my despair.
The Valley is my life.
Will the Valley be my death?
Music of the Valley
by Elizabeth Hull, 17, Senior Reedley High School
I stand in the middle of the street, waiting,
as curious eyes turn toward mine.
Even as a perfect statue,
I allow my eyes to wander.
A woman with bright red lips leans over her husband’s shoulders.
A fat man’s face blooms into a smile.
A toddler in pigtails looks at us, pointing, waiting.
Breathless anticipation.
The whistle sounds. Sharp. Clear.
My heart explodes.
I raise my arms, the cold metal burning in my hands.
My chest tensed, I take a deep breath, eyes closed and play …
The first few notes explode into blues and purples.
Scattered cheers kiss my ears.
Bright yellows and oranges follow,
earning a few more screams from the crowd.
The last note blossoms into Kelly Green,
flowering and echoing off society’s consciousness.
I bow, heart fluttering, relishing
opportunities to be a part of
the BIG GREEN Marching Machine!
by Madison Quiring, 17, Senior Reedley High School
Waking up to a sweaty sky,
Breathing out a hot sigh to merely wonder why.
Why the endless heat,
That can surely bake any feet.
Along the blazing sidewalk in which they run
Anywhere fast to escape from the wrathful sun.
If that wasn’t enough there are allergies too,
It’s enough to make anyone blue.
So grab your tissue box and snatch that sun hat,
For now we’re all stuck in the Valley and that is that.
New York, New York
by Chase Schwarzwalter
17, Senior Reedley High School
A crowded city full of lonely people.
Walk down one of its myriad sidewalks,
Bustling with people, crowded with noise.
Look around.
There is so much talking,
yet no one is having a conversation
with the person next to them.
Distracted. Cell phones to their ears,
Faces buried in Blackberrys.
Never stopping to look up,
Never noticing the eyes of an outsider,
Watching the daily activities of a “true New Yorker”.
Look around; notice the man hopping in a cab,
Flagged down by someone else.
Never stopping to notice the disappointed look,
The frustration in their eyes.
Look around; notice the celebrity leaving their hotel.
Never stopping to sign an autograph for a fan.
Never noticing one of the people who gave them their lifestyle.
Look up; somewhere on the top floor
of some fancy high rise apartment building,
is one of Manhattan’s elite.
Stopping at the window,
Looking down on the city they call home.
Then whisked away,
To another fancy soirée on the Upper-East side.
The cab driver, his passenger, the celebrity,
The fan, and even the wealthy woman all have something in common:
Loneliness.
They all search for something more.
They know it’s out there somewhere.
Happiness, love, friendship.
The most basic things all humans desire,
So easily attained in Small Town USA.
Yet so eluding in that city of all of our dreams,
New York.
Monthly Teen Poetry Contest
See your poem published!
Submit entries via an email to life[at]kingsriverlife[dot]com, our Submission Form or snail mail: Kings River Life Magazine, P.O. Box 1355, Reedley, CA 93654. Include your full name, age, grade and the school you attend with each entry — no inappropriate material will be considered. Feel free to email us or use our Contact Form if you have any questions. You will also be asked for a couple lines of biographical information if your poem is chosen. We look forward to your entries!
In the meantime, check out our Teen Talk section with weekly articles including reviews, opinion pieces, local band profiles, area high school and college goings-on — all written by local teens. Be sure to follow us on Twitter too as we will be having giveaways for all Kings River Life readers of tickets, CDs, books, t-shirts and more.
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