Claudia Emerson Teen Poetry Contest

2024 marks the CRRL’s 21st year hosting this event, named in memory of Claudia Emerson, former judge of CRRL's Teen Poetry Contest, and advocate for teen poets.

Winners were awarded cash prizes and were invited to read their work at Claudia Emerson Teen Poetry Night. Entries were be judged by local poets Laura Bylenok and David Anthony Sam.

See the 2024 winners and honorable mentions below.

Cash prizes donated by the
Friends of the Library

Congratulations to our 2024 Teen Poetry Contest Winners & Honorable Mentions.

Read the winning pieces below! Drop down the arrow to see the poems.

Winners: Grades 9-12

1st Place, "Sand and Stars" by Molly P.

Each night,
I look up to the sky
and search for that story

Of you and I

Which you claim
to be written
In the stars
Dancing above.

There is sifting sand
Escaping
From your fingertips.

We are stuck, in this glass coffin,
Filled with sand.

As you say:
We are running out of time

But, how can we run out
of something we never had?

This life, this time
Has always been borrowed.

We were born running out of time
Each breath bringing us closer to the last

Our grave: our promised cradle

We are too dim for the brilliance
Of the universe.

Or maybe, our passion is so bright,
It would outweigh the darkness’
Greed to be seen.

Perhaps.

But now they have forgotten us:
The stars and sand and darkness.

Time has passed, memories are gone.
After all, there is nothing and no one to remember
The story of you and I

We are out of time
The last speck of sand has settled
Over our broken and still breaking bodies.

I look up
at the stars

Disappearing
Into the abyss

Wishing for
More time.

2nd Place, "What Home Feels Like to Me" by Kiarah H.

I am from traveling always
And not calling one place home
I am from black eye peas for dinner
From Android’s instead of iPhone

You see we had times that were good
And times that weren’t so great
But all of the times I loved

You know I could recreate
In my mind the time I realized that I am from a family of smarties
Dad genius and mom creative

I am from doing sudokus, puzzles, chess, crosswords
Even when I hated them

I never realized this was unique
Other families don’t do complex math problems to compete

I am from I wish you woulds
And I know she ain’t
From using coo-coo to warn
And coming up with new words to create

I am from always having people around
2 sisters, they are my best friends too
I am from not having assigned seats in the car but you sure know which seat belongs to you

I am from chaos and cacophony
Laughter always filling all rooms
I am from never using a dishwasher
And those times vacuuming with a broom

I am from always sharing
Yet always having my own
I am from not having one place to call my childhood house
But always having a home

3rd Place, "The Art of Living" by Tejan S.

What does it mean to live?
Does it mean to feel the air circulate around your lungs and exit your body?
Does it mean to open your eyes and see the colors of the world?
Does it mean to have your heart pump blood throughout your body?
All that can happen but it doesn't mean you're alive
I would know
I experienced all that but still felt like a corpse
Flowers died with each step I step I took
As I walked the sky turned gray and it would always rain
The rain reminded me of the sins that I could never wash away
I used to have a fully lit candle
But then my candle went out
Yet I didn't feel like I wanted to light it again
I was a corpse moving when the wind blew
But then something changed
Someone reached out to me and lit my candle again
The rain ceased and the sky became blue again
Sunlight washed over me
The flowers that I had killed started blooming again
I could feel the world around me
It didn't feel like the air was cutting me every time I breathed
I didn't feel like I was in quicksand
I didn't feel like I was drowning under my doubts
I didn't feel like I was swallowing poison anymore
I felt like I was alive once more
I felt like I wasn't chained to my grave being picked apart by crows anymore
I felt like I had a Guardian Angel with me
I felt like they were healing me
All it took was for me to accept the hand that was being offered to me

Honorable Mentions: Grades 9-12

"Gateway" by Jordan B.

There is a time when the sky fills with starlight.
And I am nine again.
My years, oh do they age me.
My feet complain when I walk.
The countryside glistens in the newly brightened day.
I can hear the screams of laughter
The warmth of Summer calms my skin.
The breeze is cool on Autumn’s lips.
We sleep in beds made of pines and shoulders.
We lay facing the stars.
Fireworks tell us we are alive.
The adults whisper whole worlds away.
They talk about big things.
Things I wish I didn’t understand anymore.
We sit on logs around a roaring fire.
Embers trace through the sky,
Like leaves returning to their trees.
And anything is possible.
Because all we seem to have is time.

"Space Kid" by Sophia G.

A long time ago, when I was a kid
My dad told me I was made of stardust
He would read me stories of time and space
And drew pictures of us claiming the moon
At night time, I would stare up at the sky
And dream of the adventures we’d share there
Meeting aliens from another planet
Or wandering through the constellations
It's been a long time since I've dreamt of stars
And danced in the light of the full moon
I miss hearing my father talk for hours
Losing himself in imagination
I would give anything to turn back time
To be a kid again, floating through space

"I'll See You Again" by Skylar D.

Today I switched on the sky
And discovered stars that glowed like new,
I turned on the gentle stream
And greeted the waters of frothy blue.
I built the cumbrous mountain range
Of rock and majestic evergreen hues,
But they weren’t perfect or complete.
Because I did them all without you.

I tramped through fields of daffodils
Like we did when we were five,
I tumbled down the rolling hills
That once made our tangled hearts thrive.
I toppled into the ocean’s arms
Where we used to swim and dive,
And reality’s waves eroded my heart:
It’s just me alive.

I remembered your overdramatic reaction
After I made a horrible pun,
I recalled the sequoia trees we climbed
Because you said, “C’mon, it’ll be fun!
I long for the moment our hands touched
As we watched the earth kiss the sun,
And I yearn for the feeling of you next to me—
The happy ever after that ended before it begun.

If you were still here, would we build a boat
Of unbreakable bonds to conquer the seas?
Would we walk the winding trails protected by
Powerful old oak trees?
Would we craft the clouds of cotton fluff
Into creations only we could see?
Would we whisper while the eager breeze
Gossiped our secrets to the waiting leaves?

Today I chased fireflies through the woods
And caught some in a jar,
I traced prancing dreams with pencil and paper
And begged reality not to wander too far.
Those curious twinkling nights of light
I forged into wishing star,
Praying the diamond in the sky
Would show me where you are—

Oh God, why? I want you back!
Some days the world ceases to spin…
This unbearable agony—I need you here!—
Memories burn my heart; shattered and broken—
Please come back, can you come back?
I’m hollow pottery,
crumbling within—
Yet.

The falling rain
Pitter-patters your name
As a little voice whispers:
Someday.

Do I dare to hope—
Am I tricking myself?
Will there be a—
Someday?

I sense a promise
Of memories treasured
And bonds unbroken:
Someday, I’ll see you again…
Someday.

"Normal" by Grayson Faith L.

What is normal?
How does it define?
Is it a subject, an aesthetic, a fashion.
Who knows, it changes all the time.

Its aura is different.
It can reside however it chooses.
Some want to be it this adjective,
While others are bullied with silly ‘excuses’

“Your hairstyle is wrong.”
“Those clothes are so last year.”
Harassment for little things like this
Can cause more than the noticeable tear

People need to come to the understanding
That normal will never be a thing
For just as you ‘think’ it means being the same
We really all are unique and different

Life is like a puzzle
No two pieces have the same frame
But even if they do, the thing that makes them different
Is what’s on their piece, and how they display.

Some pieces click easily
They are meant to be
While some may not click at first, or at all even
They may not see eye to eye, or even agree

We call puzzles normal still to this day
Fun for all ages and families to play
Normal, yet still, what makes each one special and unique
Is how each puzzle has different pictures and displays on each piece.

"Love Language" by Gabriella G.

I made their favorite
They say that I'm a good baker
I prefer gift giver, lover.
The kitchen smells of something warm
Scent drifts through the rooms
My heart spilled out,
passionately stirred and mixed
into these baked goods;
brownies, cookies, cupcakes.
Turn on the oven light
watch as they rise: up, up, up!
Wiping down flour covered counters,
licking wet batter off the familiar spoon.
Love is messy,
but oh, so worth it!

"Seen through the window of a cooking supply store" by Moon M.

Winners: Grades 6-8

1st Place, "Your Labyrinth of Expectations" by Sarah V.

Every step is my own error
Your scowl awaits me at each dead end
Captive on this desert mockery
My cries desperate for someone to understand
For concern in the glance of a friend
But, nevertheless, I close the blinds
Alone, for myself I fend

This maze neverending
My eternal prison cell
Forged by your torturous hand
Our realities forever dwell
Under a violent, sickening spell
Your harm unbearable by human nature
A shooting star, from the highest I fell

Right, left
Straight ahead
I’m hopeful but uncertain
Theseus with his thread
Your lies, a churning pool of dread
Reliance on you gone with the tears
Your inculcated morals I shred

A Daedalus without humanity
Trickery trapped me in this inescapable cycle
The Minotaur, you embody too recurrently
Jokes lead to disrespect, and your inability to be trifled
Pain and insecurities increased fivefold
You turn the blame on the weak and innocent
Yes, you made of me a psycho

Like Icarus, I rush to freedom
Recklessness has worth as a means to escape
A push beyond your absurd limits
Impeding barriers I will break
My value, from your life I will take
Control my love no longer
And my actions, finally for my own sake

Tear me down repeatedly
Enforce your need for aggressive frustrations
Scold me at a wrongful turn
Remind us of our sinful foundations
Engrain our thoughts with vicious sensations
We are lost, unknowingly crossing
Your labyrinth of expectations

2nd Place, "The Girl In My Math Class" by Lydia Y.

The girl in my math class wore her hood over her head
“Look at her!” they all said.
The girl in my math ate a big lunch
But all they could say was “that’s way too much.”

The girl in my math class came to school with bruises on her face
They all laughed “she needs a new foundation base.”
The girl in my math class failed a test
Everyone said “I guess she’s too ‘stressed’”

The girl in my math class got new clothes
She felt more exposed
The girl in my math class never ate
Because she new she would be bait

The girl in my math class got new makeup
She felt she needed to clean up
The girl in my math class hid her work
She still sees everyone smirk

But one day, there was no girl in my math class.
Everyone who laughed silently passed
They still lied on her behalf,
But the girl in my math class lays deep.
And now I find myself the one to weep.

3rd Place, "Knot" by Rebecca C.

Ravaled and impossible
I cling to a string that once was and in ignorance disregard its new form.
Ends pulled tighter wanting this burden gone ; my arms rubbed raw.
I feel unfixable tied to the Knots of my mistakes ;
unforgivable.
I struggle, reaching for my wants and needs ; the Knot pulls tighter
The fear of my uncovered wounds, the pain I would feel untangling my precious string
strained me.
“RELEASE ME!” I begged ; no response.
I turn back to my first Knot, the grip of these shackles loosen.
Untangling this beautiful mess made my stomach churn, but a sense of tranquility rushed
through my veins.
What I once thought was a string revealed itself as multiple threads.
Moving from Knot to Knot, no longer letting my knots run me, each Knot gets easier.
Finally, my last Knot ; I'm free.
Fear of what happens next is gone.
I untie this god forsaken Knot.
I'm free.
Looking down on the thread that once tied me, once again in knots it reads,
"Release me."
I give no response.

Honorable Mentions: Grades 6-8

"Remembering You" by Delilah B.

"I Felt Like An Adult" by Leslie N.

Just another friday at 3:20pm
Same old same old
Except something is different
Something is off
He wasn’t here

"Oh great"

I joined a stew of grownups waiting
Pacing towards the asphalt podium
The cacophony of engines roaring and cars honking
Wondering how this is therapeutic to anyone.

Eyeing the simple man across the street
The man roped in the situation in the first place
Would have enjoyed his pep talks instead

Pupils dilating at the ruby colored stickman
Steeling up watching the digits decrease
My skin itches against my bookbag
Waiting for the right time.

Ding

It was time
Ignoring the muddling murmurs of humanity
I spilt the painted sea of white stripes
One foot in front of the other
And before I knew it
It was over

“It’s over”

I zipped towards the simple man
We gave each other a high five
As he asked me the same question
For over 3 grades

“So how was school?”

"The Fairy Garden of Life" by Cian M.

I am a mere moral among the fairy’s.
A mushroom,conquering odds in the mighty wind,
as a knight would with a dragon.
I am mesmerized at the sight of the flowers,
they make me dream as if I never have before.

They release me of all my stress,like water
cooling down the fire,
bees and butterflies swarm as never before.
The aroma fills the air with delight,
turning moody me to befulied of happiness.
Lets me soar above the clouds,leaving me hopeful !

I feel so lost but I don't want to leave.
It is almost like ts talking to me,
an escape of darkness,
a shimmer of light.

There's no room for fear,
no worry or sorrow.
Its as perfect as perfect can get.
If heaven is real this must be as close as you can get.
There's no such thing as failure or impossible,
it makes you want to smile.

It gives me something to live for.
Gives a meaning of life,
Among the judgement of earth.
it can make the highest of high,
or the lowest of low,
Have tears of joy.

I hope this life never ends.
Pops of color here and there.
Its a marvelous rainbow.
Oh the song of the birds.
Oh the chirping of the crickets.
Buzz of the bees and flapping of the butterflies.

Oh fairies of life.
Give me peace,
Give me hope,
Most importantly give me life.

"It's Better to be Broke than to Break" by Wyatt S.

in the tangled threads of existence,
Where hearts collide and spirits dance,
A whisper echoes through the void,
"It's better to be broken than to break."

Do not romanticize the shattered pieces,
Do not glorify the fractured soul,
For in the quiet depths of sorrow,
Lies a truth that cannot be ignored.

To break is to wield the power of destruction,
To tear apart the fragile bonds of trust,
Leaving scars that may never fully heal,
A shadow cast upon the light of love.

But to be broken is to embrace vulnerability,
To surrender to the ebb and flow of life,
To open oneself to the possibility of renewal,
In the wreckage lies the seeds of growth.

So let us not glamorize the act of breaking,
But honor the strength in being broken,
For in the brokenness, we find resilience,
In the fragments, we discover beauty.

"Flâneur" by Lydia M.

I wander down these desolate streets,
lamps flickering alight.
As the sun sets, I think that nothing beats
the sweet release of night.

Birds chirp and wind chimes cling together,
a plethora of sound,
in front of me, I see the flutter of a feather,
I pick up what I have found.

It is soft between my fingers,
brushing against my palm.
I silently thank the dusk bringers
for allowing me this calm.

A cat mewls as it strolls,
a flâneur such as me,
the urge to wander bound to our souls,
our eyes drift to a tree.

A dead one, she appears,
life fading with the cold.
Her branches empty, it reminds me of tears,
the cry of a spirit old.

The cat then chose to leave,
slipping into a crevice unknown,
it got tired, I chose to believe,
rather than accept that I am alone.

And as I wander down these desolate streets,
I let the feather go.
The moon arises, my heart it greets,
I smile as it sets the world aglow.

"Whispers" by Sarah Z.

Claudia Emerson, 1957-2014

We would not be celebrating our annual Teen Poetry Contest if not for the help and guidance of Claudia Emerson, a former professor at the University of Mary Washington and a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, who also served as Virginia's Poet Laureate.

She judged the Teen Poetry Contest and hosted Teen Poetry Night from its inception, encouraging countless young poets and gently shaping the event as it grew to over 300 entries. Before each winning poem was read, Claudia shared what it was about that poem the moved her. Her goal was to empower the young poets, and her comments showed the depth of thought and attention she had given their works.

Claudia's talent as a poet was equaled by her generosity of spirit and passion for developing young poets.

In 2022, Claudia was named as a Changemaker in the Virginia Women in History program.

Listen to the Claudia Emerson, Pulitzer Prize Winner for Poetry interview in our catalog.

Past Teen Poetry Contest Winners

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Congratulations to our 2024 Teen Poetry Contest Winners & Honorable Mentions.

Winners: Grades 9-12

Honorable Mentions: Grades 9-12

Winners: Grades 6-8

Honorable Mentions: Grades 6-8

2023 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorees

2022 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

2021 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

2023 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorees

2022 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

2021 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

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Congratulations to our 2024 Teen Poetry Contest Winners & Honorable Mentions.

Winners: Grades 9-12

Honorable Mentions: Grades 9-12

Winners: Grades 6-8

Honorable Mentions: Grades 6-8

Past Teen Poetry Winners

2023 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorees

2022 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

2021 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

2023 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorees

2022 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions

2021 Teen Poetry Winners & Honorable Mentions