Cricket201902

Second prize 11 and up

Marianne Cowan, age 13

Houston, TX

Pandora’s Box

I’m a curious girl

My name is Pandora

I have a problem

(Well, I have a plethora)

But as I was saying

I have this box

It sits there displaying

A lack of locks

But I can’t open it

Or so says he

And so it sits

A mystery

I shouldn’t, really

But it’s mine, is it not?

And what he told me

Well, I could’ve forgot

Open, or not?

It sits there, a riddle.

Unbearably caught

I can take it no more!

I’ve watched it for weeks

I wouldn’t, I swore

But it can’t hurt to peek?

Second prize 11 and up

Kali J. Myers, age 15

Keezletown, VA

What’s Wrong?

Once upon a nice fall morn

I pack some pickles, beans, sweet corn,

And also grapes (a whole big bunch)

In a basket for my lunch.

I grab a book, a blanket, too,

Put on my socks, put on each shoe,

Walk out the door, and shut it tight.

Something doesn’t feel quite right.

I look up at the orange sky,

Geese in a J shape, flying by.

A bright green cardinal chirps a song.

Still something seems a little wrong.

I set out upon my stroll,

Walk upon a wooded knoll,

Through autumn leaves in shades of green,

bl d i b t

Bees around me zip and zoom,

Pollinating each mushroom.

Turtles leap from tree to tree.

There’s nothing strange that I can see.

I spot a patch of nice red grass.

I spread my blanket, but alas!

Now, at last, I know what’s wrong.

I didn’t bring the food along!

Third prize 10 and under

Galina Aganin, age 10

Tallahassee, FL

The Cat’s Way

Eerie caterwauls pierce the night

When humans all have gone to bed

I know it cannot be a fight

Just by the way it hits my head

Perhaps I will go out and see

What those cats do yowl about

And though the darkness doesn’t scare me

I notice all the lights are out

Without a f lashlight, without a torch

Iswiftlypadondownthestreet

Therearenolightsonanyporch

Buthere’saplacewheredarkandlightmeet

y g

Right in the middle Purple,blue, andinbetween. Butheresaplacewheredarkandlightmeet

LOOK AT THAT SKY!

THE WORST OF THE

STORM BLEW RIGHT

PAST US.

WEATHER IS

LIKE THAT

SOMETIMES!

SO HOW WAS IT,

LADYBUG? THE SUIT’S

FIRST TRIAL RUN! LOOKS

VERY COZY...

IT’LL TAKE FOREVER

TO PACK EVERYTHING

BACK IN THE SUIT!

NOT TO MENTION

GETTING YOU OUT.

AND IT’S

TURNED

INTO SUCH

A NICE

DAY... FOR

SLEDDING!

SLEDDING!

YAYYYY!

LET’S GO!

SORRY, LADYBUG.

THIS SUNSHINE

WON’T LAST!

WE’LL BE BACK

TO FREE YOU IN

A BIT.

HEY, LADYBUG? THERE’S A

NOTEBOOK IN THE POCKET OF

THE VEST, IF YOU CAN REACH

IT. COULD YOU MAKE NOTES

ON HOW THE SUIT WORKED,

WHILE YOU WAIT? THAT

WOULD BE GREAT! THANKS!

WHEEEEEE!

MUFFLE

SNUFFLE

GRRRRR!

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