Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Too Hot to Handel CPS Poetry Contest

Each January, the Auditorium Theatre presents Too Hot To Handel as a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year, we have invited Chicago Public School students grade 3-12 to write an original poem celebrating Dr. King's vision of the beloved community. 

Here are our 4 finalists for our poetry contest - vote for your favorite!  The top two poems will be read before each show!

A History in the Future
Maggie Scholle-8th Grade
Franklin Fine Arts Center

Then the barriers dissolved.
What was left was awkward at first,
Then began to fit.
The niches, pockets, and caves that colors hid in
Became exposed, their people freed to see the world
The color spread.
First, it was a stiff motion, an odd in-and-out
The change was forced
But the next day the sun rose
And the color moved like finger paints
With a smooth consistency, and without reluctance
Then the barriers dissolved.

Ella Marden-6th Grade
Decatur Classical  

When he looked at the world
He didn’t see
A universe of problems
That weren’t his

He didn’t see
The faces of humanity
In black and white
But looked straight through
To their hearts

He didn’t see
The seeds of hate
Planted in broken hearts
Unable to be uprooted

He saw love
And his seed of hate
Became the blossom of love
To spread its seeds
To the world
And inspire the beloved community. 

A Beloved Community
Lauren Marut-5th Grade
Decatur Classical

A beloved community is a place to call home,
Where people of all races are allowed to roam.
It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white,
Equality is plentiful, we stand for what’s right.
A beloved community is equal and fair,
A place where we love and a place where we care.
Just like a family, we all stand together,
And everyone knows that families are forever.

Casey Wangman-5th Grade
Decatur Classical

I can picture a place
Where diversity is embraced
A loving, caring place
Where hate is not the case

I can picture a beloved community
Where everyone could live in unity
A diverse community
With equal opportunities


6 comments:

Adreana said...

Maggie Scholle's Poem is a slice of Heaven!!!

Raw Talent.

dianna said...

What beautiful poems! Keep writing and inspiring us!!

Anonymous said...

Given that each of these poems is relatively short, why not allow all 4 authors the opportunity to read them on stage?

Keep up the good work poets!

Anonymous said...

When will the top two poems be revealed?

Anonymous said...

So who are the two top vote getters?

Auditorium Theatre said...

Congrats to Casey (5th grade) and Maggie (8th grade), the winners in our Too Hot to Handel poetry contest!

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