The Gaithersburg Book Festival organizers announced the names of ten finalists in the High School Poetry Contest last week.
Winston Churchill High School student Kiran Krishnan is among the contenders for one of the top prizes. His poem, Rhythms of Life, connects the reader with seasons from birth to death using the sense of sight. It can be viewed, with Kiran reading it, at gaithersburgbookfestival.org/poem/rhythm-of-life.
Although the Festival, scheduled for May 16, has been cancelled due to the public health crisis, local high school student poets will still be celebrated.
The top three winners and a “fan favorite” will be announced in an online video featuring poetry critic and contest judge Elizabeth Lund, on Wednesday, May 20.
“During difficult times, many people turn to poetry for insight and inspiration,” Lund said in a press release. “The finalists for this year’s high school poetry contest provide that, and much more. Their poems are bold, surprising and honest, sometimes heartbreakingly so. The talent and adroitness of these young writers give me hope for the future.”
Winston Churchill High School student Kiran Krishnan is among the contenders for one of the top prizes. His poem, Rhythms of Life, connects the reader with seasons from birth to death using the sense of sight. It can be viewed, with Kiran reading it, at gaithersburgbookfestival.org/poem/rhythm-of-life.
“This is another terrific opportunity for our future bards,” Jud Ashman, founder of the Festival and current mayor of the City of Gaithersburg, said. “There are some genuinely talented young writers and poets in our region, and it makes us all proud to give them a big spotlight through the Gaithersburg Book Festival.”
More than 100 poets submitted their work to the contest according to Serena Agusto-Cox, Festival Poetry Coordinator.
The contest was open to any high school student from across the Washington Metropolitan Area. Students were invited to submit short poems, no longer than one page, single-spaced 12-point Times New Roman. There was not a specific theme for submissions.
Finalists are listed below in alphabetical order with the school they attend and city in which they reside:
Gabriellla Allen – Quince Orchard High School (Germantown, Md.)
Solange Campos – Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
Rina Fishman – Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (Rockville, Md.)
Darshini Babu Ganesh – Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
Kiran Krishnan – Winston Churchill High School (Potomac, Md.)
Sabrina Mei – Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Md.)
Sarah Patch – Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
Lucas Reynolds – The Nora School (Silver Spring, Md.)
Lucy Shen – Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Md.)
Trishelle Weed – Old Mill High School (Glen Burnie, Md.)
The 10 finalists’ poems are posted to the Gaithersburg Book Festival website gaithersburgbookfestival.org. Visitors can read the entries, see many of the poets reading their work and vote for their favorite. Fan favorite voting will close on Friday, May 8, at 11 p.m.
Prizes for first-, second- and third-place winners, provided courtesy of Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County, are $250, $100 and $50. The fan favorite winner will receive $25.
Because the Book Festival has been cancelled, some elements of the event will move to a virtual platform. Details will be posted on the Festival website.
“Sadly, circumstances have reached the point where we have to change gears on our beloved Gaithersburg Book Festival,” Ashman said. “We will not be coming together – at least not face-to-face – but we are looking at creative ways to deliver some programming that connects our loyal patrons with their favorite authors.”
RHYTHM OF LIFE
By Kiran Krishnan, Winston Churchill High School
Energetic eyes flutter open,
As they enter the new world,
Fortunate to be surrounded by family and warmth,
And an unbreakable bond is built,
Not tangible, but rather spiritual.
Curious eyes observe the endless conflict,
As formidable hardships loom,
over friendship and life,
But they are confronted and endured,
By support that heals the wounds.
Proud eyes look down, gleaming,
As a new family is formed,
Repeating the cycle again,
Observing as the years pass,
And as time takes its toll.
Tired eyes finally close,
Sinking under the weight of their exhaustion,
As the last breath escapes the mouth,
The soul ascends to its new world,
Leaving memories of love and life behind.