Writer's Festival II

So, a while back, I wrote about my county's Writers' Festival. Basically, it's for students kindergarten through twelfth grade, and the three to five best entries from each grade get published in a collection. The authors of the three best entries from each grade get to go to an awards ceremony, where it will be revealed who placed first, second, and third. I thought, "Why not?" and entered a few poems that I LOVE that I've written. It was terrifying for me, though.

I wasn't necessarily expecting anything to come of it, because poetry is judged against prose, there aren't separate categories, and there are a lot of kids in my grade in my county.

BUT.

Today, I got a letter informing me that my poem, "When the Ink Runs Dry" has been selected as a winner in the festival and inviting me and my parents to the awards ceremony!

I'm THRILLED! And surprised! And just, WOW! This is AWESOME for me! I mean, I like my poetry, and sometimes people tell me it's good, but I was not expecting this! It's kind of validating for me, this realisation that other people, people who don't KNOW me, like my poetry! SO COOL. And this is the first piece I'll ever have published!

And the other thing is, I wrote that poem in November, as a free-write for my English class. We write every Friday, and we can share, if we so desire. I really liked "When the Ink Runs Dry" when I wrote it, and every week since, I've debated about sharing, but I never did... Turns out if was WORTH sharing! This is a pretty big moment for me! I'm very excited!

And, just for the record, here it is:

WHEN THE INK RUNS DRY

 What will happen when my pen runs out

When the ink runs dry

And my heart can’t shout

What will I do when the words don’t rhyme

When I lose the meter

And I can’t keep time

What will there be when there’s only discord

When the notes don’t line up

And there’s music no more

My world will crumble when that day comes

Because I live for my poetry

And I live for my songs

My world will be ashes, not even a spark

For I won’t have a soul

And I won’t have a heart

My world will be flat, dark, and grey

When I have nothing to sing

And nothing to say

But I will keep writing as long as I can

As long as a pen

Still lives in my hand

And I will keep singing through endless days

My soul taking wing

Making everything okay

And I will stand, dreading what will come

When the ink runs dry

And I am undone

 So, that's all for today... But yeah. I'm really happy about this! :]

April's Over?

So, I haven't posted in a while--- lots of stuff going on, and I'm not a full time blogger, you know. So here's a poem I wrote last week. 

Do You, Do You Feel

Do you, do you feel

It drumming, drumming, drum

Ming- flashes of red spike

Through the night with the drum

Drumming drumming

And a racing heartbeat sounding

Doom, doom,

Doom.

Do you, do you see

Them dancing, dancing, dance

Ing- draped in red flashing

Through the night with the dance

Dancing dancing

And a racing heartbeat sounding

Doom, doom,

Doom.

Do you, do you feel

It driving on, driving on, drive

Ing on- filling with red

The whole world drive

Driving on driving on

And a racing heartbeat sounding

Doom, doom,

Doom.

Do you, do you hear

It call, danger, danger, dange

Er- like a siren, red music

Spinning in the night dange

Danger danger

And a racing heartbeat sounding

Doom, doom,

Doom.

Do you, do you feel

The drumming, drumming, drum

Ming- violent the red

Filling the night and the drum

Drumming drumming

And the racing heartbeat sounding

Doom, doom,

Doom. 

I really, REALLY like it. So, here's to more posts next month!

For Real, Everybody?

So, my school's prom was this Saturday. There's kind of a tradition that girls wear their dresses and guys wear their boutonnieres and whatnot to church the next day.

However, last year, around prom time, my mom directed my attention to this article.

It appeared in the October 2011 New Era, in the To The Point section. It's the last question, and what it says is this:

"Some youth wear their formal outfits to church on the Sunday after a school’s formal dance. Is this OK for Sunday dress?"

"For the Strength of Youth says, “Show respect for the Lord and for yourself by dressing appropriately for Church meetings” ([2001], 16). So the answer to this question depends on what “appropriately” means.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught a principle that helps us understand what is appropriate dress for sacrament meeting. “There should be nothing about [your] personal appearance or actions that would call special attention to [you] or distract anyone present from full attention to the worship and covenant making that are the purpose of this sacred service” (“Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 20).

Prom dresses, formals, and tuxedos belong at a dance, not at church. This special type of dress is worn for certain special occasions and would unduly call attention to itself at church.

A priest blessing the sacrament in a tuxedo would be distracting, as would a young woman attending church in a formal dress.

Also keep in mind that there may be young men or young women at church who did not attend the dance. Seeing others in gowns and tuxes could be hurtful and disrupt their worship experience. Be mindful of how you dress, because it could affect those around you, as well as your own worship."

So, my mom had me read it and then left it up to me what I would do. I decided not to wear my dress. Last year, when people asked me why, I just explained it to them.

This year, I printed out the article and had them read it. My young women's president said, "That's good enough for me!"

And hers was the only positive reaction I got. Last year, and this year both, people go, "Oh, that's so SAD." or they look at me with pity, like I'm just missing out on this great experience of wearing my fancy dress to church.

And it's not that I couldn't, because my dresses are modest. It's that I choose not to, because we've been counseled not to.

And it drives me CRAZY that people view it as me making a sacrifice, or a sad choice. I'm just doing what we've been asked to do. Why do people pity that?

Why can't people say, "Great for you! I didn't know that we've been asked not to wear our formal attire. Way to set a good example!"

I don't understand why people think it's a negative decision.

Honestly, dealing with everyone pitying me for doing the right thing was harder for me than not wearing the dress, or seeing the other girls in their dresses.

And I think we need to change our perceptions, so that doesn't happen. People who ought to have the same standards shouldn't make others feel pitied for holding those standards.

K. Pet peeve rant over.