As part of the 2011 Poet Laureate program, the City of Redmond sponsored a Found Poetry Contest during the month of July challenging poets of all ages to think outside the box and create poetry in an untraditional way. Participants in the contest were asked to create poems by cutting and pasting together words from already existing written materials such as newspaper and magazines. The creativity was abundant and in the end four winners were selected. Each winner received a special prize and the honor of having their poem published in the Redmond Reporter.
“I was excited to see how inspired the poets were by the community they live in. That sense of community spirit really demonstrates how special Redmond is. Thanks to all the poets for their work.” – Rebecca Meredith, Redmond Poet laureate.
Below are the winning poems.
Grade 1-7 Category Winner
Chaitanay Munjal, Grade 2, Redmond
Poem Title: Summer of 2011
Poet Laureate comments:
This piece is the choice among several good ones. I like the poet’s presence in the poem, and the feeling that summer creates.
Grade 8-12 Category Winner
Athena Gordon, Grade 10, Redmond
Poet Laureate comments:
A poem that “toasts” the season, and celebrates the parks. The poet packs a lot into a short poem.
Adult Category Winner
Aarthi John, Redmond
Poem Title: Redmond
Poet Laureate comments:
A quintessentially Redmond poem, filled with the imagery of the city and the poet’s affection for the season. This was well and thoughtfully done.
Special Mention Category Winner
Melissa L. Goss-Halbert, Redmond
Poem Title: Believe in Your Voice
Poet Laureate comments:
The visual element in this poem was just great. The poet used the words in a way that was beautiful on the page!
