The Center for Creative Solutions, Inc. announced its sixth annual poetry showcase winners for World Creativity and Innovation Week 2022.
Northwest Indiana Poetry Showcase had no official theme. Nevertheless, applying their imaginations, nearly 150 young poets and four adults submitted entries.
“Our creative partner, Ester, founder and owner of The Nest in Michigan City, came up with an ‘Inspiration List’ that was designed to help jog a memory or spark an idea for an original poem,” said Bill Halliar, Co-Chair of this year’s World Creativity and Innovation Week celebration. The results were poems on animals, outer space, boxes, toys, clouds, flowers, food, family, to name a few of the themes.
For instance, one poem was about cleaning up the Lake Michigan beachfront. Jeremiah Kilbourne, 8 years old and a second grader at Michigan City’s Coolspring School, wrote:
I like cleaning up the beach. When I run, I fall on my knees.
My dad was on the newspaper once. It was really fun.
When I got home, I hung it on my wall. It was really tall.
I clean up the beach every Monday. I’m always excited to play.
I clean up the beach with my dad. There is so much garbage on the beach.
It’s bad sometimes. I go really far in the beach. I go in my dad’s car.
There’s always so much to clean up.

The number of entries this year doubled from last year’s contest. At times, “it seemed a bit overwhelming. The huge response to our call for poems made the contest more competitive than ever before, Halliar noted. “As always, we were fortunate to have a top-notch writer, Dr. William Allegrezza, judge the youth entries.”

Dr. Allegrezza teaches creative writing, professional writing, composition, and literature classes. His primary interest is in contemporary poetry in the Americas.
Last week, several poets read their works on the air at WIMS. Top poems will also be published in The Beacher, Michigan City’s weekly newspaper. Each student will receive a certificate and book, featuring all submitted poems, to share with family and friends.
This summer, the writers will read their poems at Art-in-the-Park programs in La Porte’s Fox Park. Hailliar hopes the Poetry Showcase will eventually blossom into an adult Poet Laureate program in Michigan City.
For more information, go to the CenterforCreativeSolutions.com, send an email to creativity52@comcast.net or telephone 219-326-7259.
The winners are:
1st grade
First: “I love you.”
Samuel Bosh, 7-years-old
Westfield Carey Ridge Elementary School
Mr. Byers, teacher
2nd grade – Queen of All Saints School
First: “Rocketship Space”
Alea Smith, 8-years-old
Mrs. Moskovich, teacher
Second: “Sky Space”
Mariah Stone, 8-years-old
Mrs. Moskovich, teacher
Third: “Holy Heaven”
Henry Morefield, 8-years-old
Mrs Moskovich, teacher
2nd grade – Coolspring Elementary School
First: “I Like Flowers”
Olivia Wood, 8-years-old
Mrs. Covington
Second: “Cleaning Up the Beach”
Jeremiah Kilbourne, 8-years-old
Mrs. Covington
Third: “Ducks”
Mariska Losiniecki
Mrs. Covington
3rd grade
First: “Clouds are White Fluffy Puffs”
Anna Nelson, 9-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Olsen, teacher
Second: “White Clouds Fill the Sky”
Audrey Nelson, 9-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Olsen, teacher
Third: “Up There is a Sky”
Liam Yuknis, 9-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Olsen, teacher
4th grade
First: “The Green and White Glow”
Eli Morefield, 10-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Lohse, teacher
Second: “Hidden Box”
Andy Rendon, 10-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Lohse, teacher
Third: “A Box was Glowing”
Manny Rocilez, 10-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Lohse, teacher
5th grade
First: “How High, How High”
Finnian Hendricks, 11-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wellinski, teacher
Second: “Cold Lonely”
Gregory Hopper, 11-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wellinski, teacher
Third: “Up Far in the Clouds”
Amelia Arnold, 11-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wellinski, teacher
6th grade
First: “In the Clouds”
Bruno Cervantes, 12-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Champagne, teacher
Second: “Hellos, Goodbyes”
Elijah Arnold, 12-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Champagne, teacher
Third: “The Clouds Hiding”
Elijah Arnold, 12-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Champagne, teacher
7th grade
First: “Clouds”
Bradyn Losinski, 13-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wozniak, teacher
Second: “There is a Hidden Box”
Xander Seedorf, 13-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Wozniak, teacher
Third: “The Constant Wait”
Sophia Vaugh, 13-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints,
Mrs. Wozniak, teacher
8th grade
First: “I Grew a Sapling”
Andrew Hoang, 14-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Gasaway, teacher
Second: “Waving to Your Friends”
Eleanor Crane, 13-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Gasaway, teacher
Third: “Goodbyes Can Be Sad”
Madison Woodruff, 15-years-old
Michigan City Queen of All Saints
Mrs. Gasaway, teacher
High School
First: “Please Stay a Little Longer”
Samantha Williams, 16-years-old and Junior
Chesterton High School
Mr. Livovich, teacher
Second: “Life’s Long Morals”
Melody Pearson,17-years-old and Junior
Westville High School
Kim Klein, teacher
Adults
“My Walk” – Jeannie Halliar (poem below)
“Crosses” – Roy Summerville (poem below)
“Thoughts in the Rain” – Bill Halliar
******************************************************************
“My walk”
by Jeannie Y. Halliar
Late winter morning, skies colored with shades of gray,
Trees stand bare near the path I wander every day.The dampness and the chill embrace me with the air,
and leaves like scatter rugs are spread out everywhere.
The winds feel like Jack Frost Is breathing in my face,
I feel so much peace and comfort walking in this place.
The soothing voice of creaking trees joins with the stream to talk,
I never feel alone on this path I walk.
A deer runs by me cautiously and stops to take me in,
there’s nowhere else on earth to speak in silence with your friends.
******************************************************************
“Crosses”
by Roy Summerville
Leaving Wheeler, going to the store.
Unseasonably warm for February.
Ice melts on the road.
I can make good time.
Speed limit 55 so I’m going 65.
Pick up groceries.
Pick up kids.
Make dinner.
The radio is on but I’m not really listening.
Truckers in Canada. Russia and Ukraine.
What is a NFT? Why are we slowing down?
Pick up groceries.
Pick up kids.
Make dinner.
The SUV up ahead has on hazard lights.
The SUV stops on the side. Cars drive around.
The driver steps out and walks up for a moment.
She kneels.
Pick up groceries.
Pick up kids.
Make dinner.
As I drive by I see her stand with wreaths in her arm.
They must have been on the three roadside crosses.
Probably exchanging fresh flowers.
How many years have those crosses been there?
How many times has she done this?
How many times have I just driven by?
They were someone’s family.
They were someone’s friends.
They were someone’s children.
Pick up groceries.
Pick up kids.
Make dinner.
Maybe, I should go 60.
Maybe, I should hug my kids.
Maybe, I should read the names on the crosses next time.