Media Contact: Leanne Ingle, Communications Specialist, 360-704-4508, or outside Thurston County calling area: (877) 284-6237, ext. 2508; e-mail: lingle@trlib.org.

"Braces"

Silver wires
Cement on my teeth
Rubber bands
Shooting from cheek to cheek
Open wide
We’re going to tighten
This will hurt for only a week
Mom I need more wax.
Got Braces!

--by "Megan"

From playful observations on braces to the helplessness and sadness of seeing an aging parent slip into forgetfulness, teens expressed a broad spectrum of ideas and emotions in the 283 poems they wrote for Timberland Regional Library’s "Poets Know It" Teen Poetry Contest, October 2003. Fifteen of the poems, three from each of Timberland’s five counties, were selected for publication as individual bookmarks. The bookmarks are arriving at all 27 branches of the library district this week.

The contest was part of the library system’s Teen Read Week activities. Teen Read Week is an annual nationwide program created by the Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association. Timberland Regional Library offers participatory Teen Read Week programs each year, coordinated by the library district’s Young Adult Librarian, Kristine Mahood.

This year’s theme was "Slammin’ @ your library." All Timberland libraries displayed teen poetry collections, young adult novels written in poetry form, and books on poetry writing. Libraries held poetry-writing workshops, talks with poets, and teen poetry coffeehouses and "open mic" poetry readings.

The "Poets Know It" Teen Poetry Contest was open to middle and high school teens in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties. Poems were submitted October 1 through 31 and reviewed by judges in November and early December. Each winning poet was notified in December and received a poetry magnet word set and a poetry notebook. Following are the poems selected for publication:

• "Bubble Gum Magic," by Tia Woodman, Hoquiam Middle School, Hoquiam Timberland Library
• "I feel," by Abby Bommerscheim, Hoquiam Middle School, Hoquiam Timberland Library
• "We Kill the World," by Rachael Shotts, Harbor High School, Aberdeen Timberland Library

• "It’s me," by Laura Beaver, W. F. West High School, Chehalis Timberland Library
• "The Yellow Butterfly," by Terra K. Morgan, Pe Ell School, Centralia Timberland Library
• "Reflection," by Kellie Hedgers, Toledo High School, Winlock Timberland Library

• "Braces," by Megan Shapiro, Shelton Middle School, North Mason Timberland Library
• "Breaking Point," by April Self, North Mason High School, North Mason Timberland Library
• "My Own World," by Mary Angel Lytle, North Mason High School, North Mason Timberland Library

• "Take Me Away," by Rochelle Thomas, Naselle High School, Naselle Timberland Library
• "Why?" by Tiffany Hubbard, Ilwaco Middle/High School, Ilwaco Timberland Library
• "There Comes a Time," by Sarah Griffie, Raymond High School, Raymond Timberland Library

• "Pickled Pleasure," by Erin Dorrough, Homeschool, Tumwater Timberland Library
• "I am…" by Megan Black, Homeschool, Olympia Timberland Library
• "The Wind," by Elaine Hruby, Komachin Middle School, Lacey Timberland Library

• Deborah Baker-Receniello, PhD., Community Librarian at Oakville Timberland Library, winner of the Diamond Homer Trophy and inducted into the Homer Honor Society of International Poets. Author of "Forbidden Crossings," published in numerous anthologies.
• John Kulm of Pacific County writes performance poetry, which he has presented in New York, Los Angeles, Australia, and on stages across North America.
• Carolyn Maddux’s books of poetry include Remembering Water and Voluntary on a Flight of Angels. She is also an essayist. Recently retired managing editor of the Shelton-Mason County Journal, she is an adjunct English faculty member at Olympia College in Shelton.
• Lucia Perillo’s poems have appeared in many magazines. In 2000 she won the prestigious MacArthur award.
• Cynthia Pratt is a member of the Olympia Poetry Network, whose motto is, "To bring poetry to the community."
• Bill Yake, is a poet, retired environmental scientist, and long-time board member of the Olympia Poetry Network.
• Laura Young, Community Librarian, Elma Timberland Library, has written and studied poetry writing at Centrum in Port Townsend and at the Northwest Writing Institute in Portland.

It was raining,
He lost his visa,

The last time he had used it
Was to buy
A pizza

Now he’s losing his
Hair,

He says it sucks to get old
I tell him he still looks
Like he’s in his
Twenties

It’s snowing
He frolics around like
A child
He wants to have a snowball
War

I have to tell him
No

The doctors say
There is nothing we can do
Soon you will have to put him in a
Home

Don’t they know this is his home

Now it’s sunny
This man I once looked up to now looks up
To me

Lately
He calls me by his mother’s name
I say no dad it’s me
Your daughter

--by "Laura"