Two Poems by Award-Winning Young Writer Adele Carcano

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No,

Here we go again.

I heard it,

The deafening sound of sirens.

My second attempt to run away

FAILED.

I groaned,

Wishing I had gone far away.

Instead

I hesitated before my run.

After I climbed out my window,

I felt both guilt and freedom.

Then that sound,

It eliminated the freedom feeling,

And the guilt --

it was left in me forever.

Sting Rays 

Somewhere in the middle of the ocean, as we speak, is a vast wet plane of sting rays. Imagine the pure beauty held within them. Layers and layers of graceful bodies pushing their way through the waves. Their aura sends off a feeling that you only feel among the greatest of nature. They make the black water bold and bright.

BIO: Adele Carcano was so eager to explore the world that her mom barely made it to the hospital on December 1, 2001. And explore she does ... from gymnastics and triathlons to artistic endeavors and writing. But writing stands out above all her passions -- she's been penning letters to her mom, lists, poems and stories since she learned to write. She keeps a journal and a blog of her family's travels around the world.  

Adele loves to try new things. At age eight when she found a writing contest going on in the City of Malibu, she pulled an "all nighter" to make the deadline the next day. It was with great joy and surprise that she won the under-15 age group for the Malibu One Book One City contest with her fun story about a precocious dragon titled "To the Top of Malibu." The next year she was featured along with other talented Malibu youth in the Malibu Times Magazine. She's been writing under the tutelage of Dallas Woodburn ever since.

"Paws for Poetry" Contest for Kids

April marks the 14th anniversary of National Poetry Month. To help celebrate, budding Emily Dickinsons and Edgar Allan Poes are encouraged to participate in the 3rd annual "Paws for Poetry" Contest (PawsforPoetry.org). To enter, children ages 5-12 are to write a poem to, and provide a photo of, their favorite animal friend. The contest is co-sponsored by kids' virtual field trip Web site Meet Me at the Corner (MeetMeAtTheCorner.org) and Flash Light Press (FlashLightPress.com).

Original poems of any length may be submitted in one of two categories: Group One (ages 5-9) and Group Two (ages 10-12). One grand prize winner in each category will receive a prize package worth $50.00. Two runners-up in each category will receive a $25.00 gift package. Children's author, poet, and Iraqi war veteran Thad Krasnesky, writer of the upcoming That Cat Cant Stay (Flashlight Press, 2010) is the contest judge.

In addition to the prize packages, winning poems and pet photos will be highlighted in an upcoming Meet Me at the Corner video podcast. The podcast will be videotaped at New York's Angellicle Cat Rescue Center. Local students will present the winning poems.

All submissions should be mailed to "Paws for Poetry" Contest, c/o Meet Me at the Corner, 20 West Del Norte, Colorado Springs, CO, 80908. The contest deadline is April 15, 2010.

For more information, rules and submission guidelines, visit PawsforPoetry.org.