Johnna, my daughter, is PUBLISHED!

The Southern Lakes Anthology is a writing and art contest for third through eighth graders in all of Southern Wisconsin. Each school district may enter only 24 pieces for this competition.  Entries are submitted and judged at the district level. From there, they go to the regional-level judging to compete against their peers from other area school districts in the Southern Lakes region.

This is put on by the Whitewater Talented and Gifted Network. Students in participating districts can submit one of three types of writing–poetry, prose, or illustrated writing–for possible inclusion in the Southern Lakes Anthology. Yesterday was the awards ceremony for the winners from 32 different school districts.  

The theme this year was “MAKE A MARK” .  Here is Johnna’s winning poem, I am so proud of her!  I believe she was the only 8th grader from the Milton School District to make it!

SPOTS OF DESPAIR

© 2013 Johnna Walsh

Marks,

red, splotchy, cancer-filled marks.

When we found out,

we left marks.

Hot tears streaming down our faces,

our noses stuffy,

our eyes puffy.

Doctors tried to help,

they only left more marks,

scars, stitches, and staple marks.

You left a mark on us,

Not a visible mark,

the kind of emotional mark you can’t see.

We left a mark on you.

We could tell by the way you clutched our hands as you passed.

Life is nothing but a bunch of marks.

One day, a mark could come along and destroy you inside and out.