Finn, Navarre, White poems to be published

Poems by Annie Finn, Fox Navarre, and Mary White were selected as the top three in the annual South Middle School Eighth Grade Poetry Contest held earlier this month.
The three poems will be published in a national book, Teacher's Selection; Anthology of Eighth Grade Poetry.
The poems were chosen from more than 50 entries, according to Mr. Randy Turner, eighth grade communication arts teacher. Judging was done by a committee of teachers.
The poems are printed below:

OCEAN BREEZE
By FOX NAVARRE
I stand in the small boat
gazing out at the sea
Not too far from the shore
ocean air swirls around me.

I shall follow the trail
of my tears undying devotion.
They course down my face
and into the ocean.

They mix with the water
the two becoming one.
One with the ocean
I will also become.

I leapt from the boat
as I cry in the sea.
Pain enters my heart
and rids of my glee.

Water fills my lungs
and I seem to drown in my tears.
I never was afraid to die,
but I've now rearranged my fears.

Later I use all of my strength
to pull myself up onto the shore
and gaze up at the stars
forevermore.

The stars slowly fade into the sky
time and space escape from me.
And I am gone
with the ocean breeze.

SCEECKIEY'S LULLABY
By MARY WHITE
Though the road doth wind
the billowing wind blow
in rested assurance you know
When the bright of day
is chased away
And dark night cometh nigh
In peace may you rest
In my arms you will lye

Though storms billow
The pathway steep
Safe will you sleep
Safe in my arms.

Close your eyes
And forget about
The darkness of the night
Safe by my side.

Though your journey is long
And the creatures of the night
frighten you so
In rested assurance
My baby you know
When the bright of day
Is chased away
And dark night cometh night
In peace may you rest
In my arms you will lye.

Safe will you sleep
In peace may you rest
Safe by my side
My baby
My little one
Safe in my arms
you will lye.


A CHILD'S SCREAM
By ANNIE FINN
A child's scream
pierces the night.
The sounds of an
uneven fight.

Then all is silent,
all is dark.
Parents wanting blood,
just like a shark.

The child's breath
suddenly stops
so suddenly that
the parents call the cops.

The mother is crying
the father is being led away
his face is so hard
as he watches his child lay.

The child will never wake,
but never again get hit,
the father is in jail
while the mother still knits.

This happens daily
everywhere you go
You can act like you
don't see it, but you know.

(Photo information: Mary White, left, and Fox Navarre. Not present for photo, Annie Finn)