Poem Contest Winners

Local K-12 school students were asked  to participate in a poetry contest that was held as part of the “I Am” Benefit Concert for Kaitlyn. Here are the five Winning poems and six Honorable Mention poems.

Fresh Dawn

Once upon a time
I sat on shining shores,
Hands caked
With shimmering sand.
I dug a moat
And raised a flag
Of brilliant scarlet.
I built myself
A sandcastle.

Sunny smiles
Danced.

But that night
Crashing waves
Smashed the seashore
Crushing my joy.
Aquamarine spirits
Stole my moat
And crushed
My sandcastle.

Shocked faces
Tried to understand

I sat down again,
Fingering crumbled sand,
To remember
And dream
Slowly, I started
To sculpt anew.
Grain by grain,
I build turrets
And drawbridges,
With every handful
My shining castle grows.
I’ll finish it someday.

I believe
In my dreams.

By Jessica Chang
11th Grade - Saratoga High School

Kaitlyn Langstaff

She may not look the same or do the things she did.
But inside I know Kaitlyn is an ordinary kid.
She gossips about movie stars and listens to rock music.
She plays with Barbie dolls and she will always stick up to it.
Even though she cannot see, I know she feels the same as me.
Her smile is my favorite sight, a topsy-turvy big delight.
She knows that I will always care, no matter how she wears her hair.
Kaitlyn is my best friend I will stick with her too the very end.

By Alexandra Gulesserian
5th Grade - Hillbrook School

Weaken the Wind

Weaken the wind;
Cool down the sun;
Blind the moon;
Cover the stars;
Bring down the sky;
Dry up the rain;
Dam up the rivers;
Cut down the trees;
Crumble all confidence;
Render this reality;
Break every heart;
Kill all time;
Only then,
Only then,
Only then will courage flee,
Until then,
Until then,
Until then I will remain strong.

Jenice Hayes
11th Grade - Westmont High School

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn is the kind of girl that will make you smile.
Kaitlyn is one of the nicest girls I have met in a long while.
Kaitlyn is so smart her work will always be done.
Kaitlyn is always brave it’s not always fun.
All of her friends really, really care.
And sometimes it just not fair.

By Kyle Gustlin
3rd Grade - Forest Hill Elementary School

Courage

Courage is what kept her alive.
Courageous is what she is.

She is fun to be with.
No matter what you say.

She has been courageous ever since she said
“People can wake up to say, “Kaitlyn’s tried,”
Instead of waking up to say, “Kaitlyn’s died.”

She will always be a beautiful flower
That will never stop blooming.

So say what you must
But know courage is what kept her alive,
 And courageous is what she is.

By Yadira Nunez
4th Grade - Forest Hill Elementary School

Honorable Mention

My Best Friend

Kaitlyn will always be my best friend,
We'll be best friends to the end.
She's just like you and me,
And if you treat her like that she'll be happy.
Just treat her like she's well and not sick,
Because if I needed a friend she'd be my #1 pick.
Kaitlyn is a great person,
And the best at being a friend.

By Ariana Gomez
3rd Grade - Forest Hill Elementary School

"I Understand"

I understand your pain
For at times I feel the same.
People look at me like they are given the right,
To judge or give insight.
They don’t like the way I act,
Some don’t like the way I look,
And as I've gotten older,
They've stabbed me like a hook.
 With all they're comments going straight through my wall,
And as hard as it has been I am still standing tall.
Then one day I heard your story,
And it opened up a whole new path for me.
 I realized what am I doing complaining
When there is a little girl in much worse pain?
Because of your condition,
People try to understand,
But they really can't,
'cuz they haven't been in the same situation.
Yet I have.
When I was your age, I was in intensive care.
It turned out I had pneumonia,
And the doctors could not promise I would
make it.
 It just wasn’t fair.
But, because of people like you,
I was given the courage to fight and make it through.
So as I stand before you today,
I want to say thank you for giving me the bravery to make it through,
Another day.
Whether it was then or even at times now,
You have given me the courage.
So I wish you would allow,
Me to extend my gratitude,
To a person who is going to make it through another day too,.......you

By: Jessica Deen
9th Grade - Westmont High School

We Are the Same Inside

We are the same inside
Rich or poor
Big or small
Short or tall
Black or white
Purple or blue
We are the same inside
Me and you.
We do not need to hide

Some of us walk
Some of us roll
What matters lives in our heart and soul

We are together on this ride
Take a look
Just close your eyes
We are the same inside

By Trevor Altier
4th Grade - Forest Hill Elementary School

No Difference

Big as a giant,
Small as a peanut,
We are all the same,
When we turn off the light.

Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We are all worth the same,
When we turn off the light.

Red, blue, orange, white or black,
We all look the same,
When we turn off the light.

So maybe to make everything right,
God should reach up and turn off the light.

By Diana Canales
5th Grade - Easterbrook Elementary School

People are the Same

People are the same,
No matter what they look like.

People are the same,
No matter where they come from.

People are the same,
Even if they sound different.

People are the same,
Even if they can’t see.

People are the same,
Even if they can’t walk.

People are the same,
 No matter what!

By Samantha Jones
4^th Grade - Forest Hill Elementary School

I’m Still a Human Being

Even though I’m blind and can’t talk,
I’m still a human being.
Just because I don’t have to go to school,
Doesn’t mean I’m lucky.
Even though I can’t eat and need a feeding tube,
Doesn’t mean I’m not a human being.
If you ever insult me,
I don’t care,
Because God is with me wherever I go.
God see me in his own image.
Whatever you say about me is your opinion not a fact.
I’m still a human being even if I look ugly.
Some people look ugly, but are famous,
They’re still human beings.
You, me, and them.
Lincoln looked ugly to some people,
But he stopped slavery.
So to tell you,
 I’m a human being.

By Andrew Liao
4th Grade - Easterbrook Elementary School