More than 170 original poems inspired by the civil rights work of Martin Luther King, Jr. were submitted in the second annual student poetry contest run by the Diversity Council and Rochester Civic Theatre.
Winners in three age groups, grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12, read their poem on-stage at a Poetry Slam Jan. 16 at the Rochester Civic Theatre. Prizes were also awarded.
The winners are:
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Joy Harris
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10th Grade
Century High School
First place, Grades 9-12
"The Dream of Generations"
400 Years Ago
Stripped of name, of family, of rights
Captured and sold in the dead of night
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Longing burns his beating heart
The sun climbs high, a new day starts
Sweat streaks cross his weathered face
In this land he knows his place
But in his eyes glows a dream
A dream for freedom and equality
145 Years Ago
Freedom comes with bloody battles
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Gun fire sparks and cannons rattle
Some battle hard to keep their rights
To preserve the Union others fight
Four long years of endless strife
Slaves set free, a newfound life
No land, no jobs, no civil rights
Codes based on color, no justice or equality
47 Years Ago
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With a slandered name and second-class rights
Threatened and harassed in the dead of night
Longing burns his beating heart
The sun climbs high, a new day starts
Aching feet march miles and miles
Sit-ins and boycotts, again he’s reviled
But in his eyes glows a dream
A dream for freedom and equality
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Now
This dream has glowed for generations past
Spreading and growing, determined to last
An entire people rose as one
A degrading system was undone
People still hate, there’s violence and bloodshed
But steadily with courage we should look ahead
To a day when all mankind will sing together
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"Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are
free at last"
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April Dennison
10th Grade
Century High School
Second Place, Grades 9 – 12
"My Heart"
Do you hear it?
-------/\/\/\/------/\/\/\/------/\/\/\/-------/\/\/\/------
The heart that was stepped all over
It’s left and it’s still beating
No matter how many people I meet that discriminate against me
It wants to forgive
I know in my head I should hate back
But why is my heart rebelling so?
It’s still yearning to love others
No matter how many times it’s hurt, by the words, by the actions, by the looks, just because of my race
I want to strike back, but it won’t let me
No matter how hard I try, I won’t stop loving
I have to forget in my heart
But it’s all that I have left
Forget, what makes me human
------/\/\/\/-------------------------
It’s no use. My heart is broken.
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It won’t stop beating
I can’t believe in a world without love
Listen to my heartbeat
Can you hear it now?
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Bridget White
Grade 10
Century High School
Third Place, Grades 9 – 12
"Liberation"
I am not you, and you are not me.
But why must we always contend?
If I hurt you and you hurt me
We’re welcoming our own bitter end.
You’re a Black,
And I’m a White.
But both of us lack
The judgment-free sight.
I’ll look in you, and you look in me.
Perhaps then, we’ll both see.
In you, I see bravery, endurance, and strength.
Your soul has been tortured, and oft it has cried.
It’s broken and torn, yet it has not died.
In me, you see hatred, cruelty, and might.
My soul is lost — overtaken by pride.
Yet together our souls will forever abide.
You scream into the night, begging, "How can this be —
That I am enslaved, while he is yet free?"
That night, I watched you through Liberty’s veil.
I must reach for your hand, or this nation will fail.
Though I am not you, and you are not me,
Here we are — hand in hand.
Together we’ll walk for an eternity or more
Across Freedom and Unity’s Land.
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Abryelle Terrill
8th Grade
John Adams Middle School
First Place, Grades 6 – 8
"Human Rights"
Human rights
are mighty lions
protecting people from crazy danger
in their home and everywhere else
saving people from getting killed
an ugly painful death
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Emma Pankratz
Grade 8
John Adams Middle School
Second Place, Grades 6 – 8
"He Held My Hand"
My ma says we’re all the same
But I know we’re not
I’m so sick
They wouldn’t give us blankets
They don’t care if we die
Why am I so cold?
They leer at ma and smile at me
But not nice smiles
Ma holds me close
They whip my brother
And spit on my father
We shiver together
Ma lays me down softly
She’s going to beg for warmth
I’m colder already
My body can’t take the work
I’m six years old, dying
And I’m so, so cold
A man kneels next to me
I’m scare until I see the color of his skin
He smiles
And takes my hand
His hand is warm
He pulls me up
And lifts me into the sky
He’s carrying me somewhere safe
I look back
And see my still body
Lying on the barn floor
A smile on my face
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Jacob Gehrking
Grade 6
Chatfield
Third Place, Grades 6 – 8
"Peace"
Angry words through the air,
Not knowing why they are yelling
Some sticking up for others,
Some tearing people down
Judging colors of people
Some being mean to black
Some being mean to white,
Some saying why can’t we have peace,
Some people kicking and hitting.
But one saying let’s have peace
That name is Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Aman Abdirizak
Grade 5
Harriet Bishop Elementary
First Place, Grades 3 – 5
"We Need Peace All Over"
We need peace all over,
Stop being so mean,
We don’t need you to add the anger,
We need peace all over,
Stop being so hateful,
There’s already a big pile,
We need peace all over,
Stop being such a bully,
Don’t be mean to people for pleasure,
We need peace all over,
So put it to rest,
Let’s just have this world be peaceful.
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Jarod Rhudy
5th Grade
Harriet Bishop Elementary
Second Place, Grades 3 – 5
"I Have a Dream"
I have a dream for peace to flow like a stream
For hate to leave and for all to believe
We can live as one, no one must wield a gun
I have a dream for peace to flow like a stream
To turn an enemy to a friend is to turn a break into a mend
I have a dream that everyone will stop and see
Between everyone is equality
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Geena Burgess
Grade 4
Hoover Elementary
Third Place, Grades 3 – 5
"Black and White"
Rights,
freedom,
friends.
What does that mean to you?
Maybe when you see children play on the playground.
Maybe fields where you can run at the speed of a horse.
Or does it remind you of the beautiful color black and white.
To Martin it did.
He took the color black and white and looked at the world
and said why aren’t these colors combined.
I see a huge spot of white,
and the color black.
I see it on me and my friends.
I see it on working people under slavery.
But nor do I see it in fancy restaurants,
Or in the front row of a movie theater.
I HAVE A DREAM!
