by Teen Poets
These poems were written by local teens who won our most recent Teen Talk poetry contest. The contest is open to anyone age 13-19. Any subject or type of poem will be considered with five or more poems selected each time, details below.
The Valley Oak
by Anthony Garcia, Senior, Reedley High School
The valley oak
Sits quietly every day and night
It hears all,
It sees all,
But never breathes a word.
During the night it stands
Ominously in the moonlight
It casts a shadow-
A shadow-
Does this hide its motives?
As I peer into its mystic shape
The knots become swords
Piercing my soul with unrelenting force
The gnarled branches
Strangle the life from my bones.
Then the darkness turns to light,
The baleful shape turns into an experienced mentor
With the might to resist all-
The knowledge to persevere
The limbs,
Fade majestically into the sky
Without worries
Without regrets.
by Chase San Sebastian Eighth Grade, Dunlap elementary
Wondering the streets,
Only the soft patter of feet,
Alone he stands, a broken man.
Never to find the light, not to live a true life,
Sorrowful sighs,
Neglectful lies,
He only knows hate.
Sorry to say,
Silent whispers fill his mind,
Haunting him his entire life.
Forever lost, a life full of costs,
He knows he can’t fight the darkness.
He is an outcast.
He searches for the light,
So he can stop living in the night.
God is his only truth, he runs to him,
For that’s all he can do.
God brought him into the light.
Slightly Unexpected
by Kristalyn Patzkowski Senior, Reedley High School
One white rose.
Morning dew on every petal,
And a stem of the deepest green.
Beauty beyond compare,
And compassion that will never be
Overshadowed.
It was a gift,
A small token of love,
And the life that we will
One day, share.
Maybe it’s a long time in the future,
But here in this moment,
I’m glad that I get to spend it with him.
All these emotions,
And the butterflies,
I think I’m ready to admit it:
I’m in love!
It’s amazing what one rose,
One single, white rose,
Can make a girl want to do!
Breakfast Tea
by Christopher Cook, Senior, Reedley High
Being dark, rich, and hot, steaming,
The moisture is thick in the air as
I grab the pot which holds the black English Breakfast tea,
Which has become the center of my morning rituals.
As the steaming liquid hits the very bottom of my large tea cup,
My mouth waters, for I cannot wait to indulge.
It splashes up to the brim almost on the table,
But I stop as the tea is about to flow over my cup.
The sweet taste of a bee’s honey warms my throat,
Soothes my body and mind.
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 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.
Kristalyn, I love your poem about the white rose. It reminded me so much of the poem we read in Spanish class. You are an excellent writer, actually, you are an INCREDIBLE writer! 🙂
Thanks, Yesi! It’s nice to know that you like my work. Believe it or not, this was one of the easiest poems for me to write. I think that’s because the image of the white rose was quite vivid in my mind! I started writing, and I just couldn’t stop. In this case, that was a good thing. 🙂
I also want to say, Anthony, I’m so thrilled that you have a poem published here! It’s amazing, and I hope, that sometime in the future, you’ll let me read more. Will you do that Anthony? Let me read another one of your poems?