Peace, love and poetry

As the holiday season draws near, thoughts of family, friends, peace and, one hopes, good will begin to fill our minds. But with the current economic situation and the continued war so present in the media, peace might be a more distant notion than it has been in the past.

Nonetheless, 12 local students offered inspiration and comfort Sunday at Mattituck-Laurel Library, where they presented original poems about "Inner Peace" to their families, friends and members of the community, proving that peace might not be all that far away.

The poets were third- through sixth-graders from Our Lady of Mercy in Cutchogue, Cutchogue East Elementary and Oysterponds Elementary in Orient. Their poems saw sources of inner peace in everything from a hot tub and the smells of a mother's cooking, to Arizona or a hideaway in one's closet. Through these poems, the students professed their innermost thoughts about feeling at peace in their own ways.

This was the second year Congregation Tifereth Israel in Greenport and the North Fork Reform Synagogue in Cutchogue asked local students to participate in the poetry-writing event. Local literary figures Miranda Beeson, Regan Batuello and Billy Hands judged the contest. Poets whose work was deemed outstanding participated in the reading and each received a $25 prize.

Each judge offered unique and insightful opinions on both the process and the young writers.

"I think that kids today are much more advanced and aware of what is going on around them," Mr. Hands said. "This may be due to television or music or even the topics at the dinner table. Young people are still pretty resilient, but have strong feelings, and [those feelings] come out in their writings."

Ms. Beeson said that the entries were "excellent, varied, personal, fun, witty, sad, fearful, playful, bold, serious, simple, complex, but best of all, observant."

"I wait for the 'thump' of recognition that comes when I like a painting," Ms. Batuello said, adding that "judging poetry is a subjective endeavor, more closely related to paintings."

While some students were quiet or shy, and others were confident or outspoken, all said they had found inner peace in some way.

Cutchogue East student Miranda Sannino said her teacher told her about the contest, which she said inspired her to think about her comfort zone.

"I have posters and stuff in my closet," she said. "And the inspiration came directly from there."

Oliver Orr, also a student at Cutchogue East, said he "thought about my most peaceful time, reading, listening to the Beatles and the smell of [Mom's cooking]."

The budding writers all said they had different reasons for entering the contest.

Dylan James from Our Lady of Mercy remarked that "it made me feel really happy" to share his inner peace. His classmate Dominique Kart said, "I've found my inner peace and I think poetry helped."

Elizabeth Powe-Bokina of Cutchogue East said, "I really wanted everyone to know how much peace means to me."

Although a few of the outstanding poets were unsure if they'd keep writing poetry, the majority of the students said they would, and are likely to submit poems again next year.

To read the outstanding poems click the links below to download the PDF's or to hear them recited by the poets themselves check out the video in the right sidebar.

2008 Outstanding Poets

Our Lady of Mercy

Dylan James, grade 4

The Peaceful Field

Dominique Kart, grade 4

Fluttering Peace

Alex Waski, grade 5

Untitled

Cutchogue East Elementary

Chris Dolce, grade 4

Arizona

Oliver Orr, grade 6