Poetry Contest 2021-22

6th Annual Segerstrom High School Poetry Contest 2021-22

Winners

1st Place 

These Verses of My Soul
By: Stephanie Luna

The sad, sweet verses run through their fingers as they gently and sweetly pass across the strings
Trumpets sound endlessly sweet voices of angels reaching out to you and taking your hand
Small notes of soft and strong strings, heartstrings
My hands follow the notes of the strings in his hand 
The harp resounding with deep tones of passion, swings
with strings that were torn and out of tune will hang, crowded.

Sweet, sweet, and soft rhymes and verses, love and sadness
My grandfather used to sing to me, with his sad and tired voice and his teary eyes
Childhood memories of him ran through the small, fragile drop of goodness
And when the wandering music dies
His last tear dies with the sound of the last strings.

Sweet and beautiful, lover of my heart
Tears of my memories, the sadness of my heart  
Verses shaped like a canvas with a work of art  
The voice of my soul, green, white, and red melodies  
That is my favorite piece of art, a story between verses and tears.

These verses of the soul played on instruments burned with the heart  
Songs of a broken heart, lovers, doves, and soul 
Ever since we’ve been apart  
But all that ends when the last string sounds and your memory comes apart.

2nd Place

Musical Empathy
By: Adrian Ramirez

You want to know what music makes me feel?
Ask the song artists, they’ll explain it well
I feel their passion, pain that makes you keel
Their emotions that will make your heart swell
Like Gnarls Barkley, I feel like going crazy
Or The Beach Boys, feeling all those good vibes
Like Bruno Mars, sometimes I feel lazy
I’ll feel those hard places H.E.R. describes
Like Sade, I can feel that sweet kiss of life
Like Vance Joy, I’ll feel a missing piece is found
Rex Orange County? I feel all his strife
I feel that amazing grace, how sweet the sound
Every emotion they feel, I feel too
Although there are many, each one is true

3rd Place (Two Poems Tied)

My Oasis
By Maya Jacobo

The world I live in can be unpredictable and cruel,
Spending most of my time wasting away,
There are some days that are quiet and rural,
But sometimes I’m waiting for the end of the day.

But I found a way I can go to escape,
It is a method that can create smiling faces,
It is music, and when played it’s as if it takes shape,
Becoming a paradise, my own little oasis.

The siren sound can lead me there and take me away,
To my oasis where I can set myself free,
There are moments I wish I could eternally stay,
But I need to continue in this world wherever I need to be.

It always pains me when I need to leave,
Because I’m reminded of my dull reality,
And once again, I’m left to grieve,
Thinking my oasis can’t fill me with rhapsody.

And I begin to think, my oasis will one day go dry,
Without sound, that I will be left with nothing but sand,
But for now I continue to return and let time fly,
As I listen to the siren song from my oasis again.

3rd Place (Two Poems Tied)

The Weight of the World
By Carmen Sarria

The ethereal goddess sits on the edge of a rock,
overlooking the deep depths of the sea overflowing with all the world’s deepest anxious thoughts.
Her scrawny little arms can barely hold the weight of the world.

Her emerald shiny hair flowing effortlessly in the wind. 
Wearing nothing but a short seaweed top that reveals her ribcage. 
Her smile illuminates the entire room. 
Her body slim and close to perfect. 
She never fails to disappoint her fandom. 
Music notes emitting from her body in the air,
covering the irresistible sunset hues of bright pinks, oranges, and yellows. 
I can’t help but feel reassured by her soothing voice.
I won’t leave, I can’t leave.

Her music makes me feel trapped.
Her charm lures me.
I feel paralyzed from the waist down.
The people’s happiness lies within her fingertips.
Her singing showers me with a bunch of kisses and makes me feel warm inside.
It completes me with ecstasy.

Her arms, now strong from the effect her music notes have had on the people 
She can hold the weight of the world.

RULES AND INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITY: 

• Open to all Segerstrom High School students, grades 9-12

RULES:

• To enter the contest, each entrant must write an original poem that reflects on the prompt:
  • Write a poem about how music makes you feel
• Entries must:
  • be typed using Times New Roman and 12 size font
  • have a title
  • be 20 lines of poetry or less 
• Only include your student ID and grade level on the poem document itself. Do not write your name on the poem.
• Only one poem can be entered into the contest.
• Poems with vulgar, offensive, or profane language will be disqualified. 
• All poems will be submitted to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism prevention website. It is essential that each entry must be your own original work and cannot contain previously published and/or copyrighted material. If the judging panel discovers at any time that an entry contained previously published and/or copyrighted material, your poem will be immediately disqualified.

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST:

• Submit your entry (upload your poem) using this Google Form:  
  • 6th Annual Poetry Contest Submission Form by Saturday, 5/7/22 by 11:59 p.m.
  • Acceptable formats are Google Docs and PDFs

WINNERS AND PRIZES:

• One (1) poem will be selected as the 1st place winner and named Poet Laureate.  
• Additionally, there will be 2nd and 3rd place winners.  
• See below to view the prizes you can win if your poem is selected.

SELECTION OF WINNERS: 

• Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
  • Ability to captivate the reader
  • Sensory images
  • Use of language
  • Elements of poetry
  • Originality
  • Organization and overall impact

1ST PLACE:

• Named Poet Laureate of Segerstrom
• The 1st place poem will be published at The Jag Journal website
• Receive spirit wear from the Jag store
• Receive a gift (donated by Journalism Club)

2ND AND 3RD:

• Both 2nd and 3rd place poems will be published at The Jag Journal website
• Receive spirit wear from the Jag store
• Receive a gift (donated by Journalism Club)

QUESTIONS?

• If you have any questions about the contest, please feel free to email any questions to [email protected].