'Verse in the Valley' Fourth through Fifth Grade Winners

The winners of the Scotts Valley Arts Commission’s annual “Verse in the Valley” poetry contest were announced at a June 6 city council meeting. There are first, second and third place winners in five different age group categories and a first place winner in the class poem category.

Scotts Valley Patch will run the winning poems in each category throughout the week. Today, we have the fourth- through fifth-grade category winners. To read the kindergarten through third-grade and class poem category winners, click here.

First Place–Emily Truong, 4th grade, Vine Hill Elementary School

“I Am From”

I am from the bunk bed,

from milk and sugar.

I am from the house with the tall bush,

joy filled heavy door

4 chickens in the backyard.

I am from the fern trees

swaying the soft gentle breeze.

I am from saw mill men and

positive blood.

From Mau and Nga.

I am from the fist in the stomach and

foot in the mouth.

I am from stories and

prayers.

I am from imagination,

great fields of flowers, and unicorns.

I’m from China, Canada,

beef and broccoli.

From the grandpa whose fingers are off

the happy twins of two.

In the closet was a bowl,

no father, no mother,

no sister, no brother,

but these:

a baby monk made of chips sleeping

softly breathing to the beat,

a cuckoo that was blue and its whistles going

to my heart,

and a cat bobbing to this gentle music.

Second Place–Mika Millan, 4th grade, Vine Hill Elementary School

“I Am From”

I am from flowered tiles,

from oatmeal and bagels.

I am from the white house

with the fence.

Fun, loud, animals everywhere.

I am from the redwoods,

the oak trees wet and cold,

from the rain and fog.

I am from camping and traveling,

from Anika and Doug.

I am from the sports teams and

playing by the sea,

from “God ahead” and “Stop it!”

I am from prayers before dinner

every single night.

I am from Hungary and Mississippi,

walnut bread and gypsy roast.

From the grandfather who escaped

from Hungary and the grandmother

who couldn’t drink from water fountains.

In my room is my secret box

no money, no jewelry.

Bells, pictures, letters from friends

and family.

I am from these things,

flowers on my family tree.

Third Place–Skylar Hughett, 5th grade, Vine Hill Elementary School

“I Am From”

I am from my big brown

desk, from Rice Crispies and

Nintendo. I am from the

funky shaped house on the side

of the creek. Old, cozy, with

a faint damp air. I am from

the washed down rocks, the

massive redwoods, the fat, fury, red

trees that surround my home.

I am from opening my first

present on Christmas Eve and

staying up ‘til 12:00 on New

Year’s Eve, from mom, dad, and

Sage. I am from the organic food and

the no video games on the week,

from “Do you homework” and
“Let’s throw ball.” I am from always

eat organic no chemical growing

or fertilizer.

I am from Vikings, fruit and

chocolate. From the cruise ship that

almost blew up my grandmother

the person with so many stories.

On my top bunk, there is a

wooden box. Inside there are one lego brick,

one copy of Hunger Games, and a game baseball.

Beside that box are a bottle of

sand from Hawaii and a rock from

my creek. This is me. The things I

live and breathe