The Martha's Vineyard Times

Edgartown students win peace poetry contest awards

May 7, 2012

Photo by Connie Leuenberger

The winning poets: (L-R) Olivia Pate, Greg McCarron, J.J. Mendez and Amadine Muniz.

Four Edgartown School students won awards last month for poems they submitted to the 15th annual Veteran's for Peace Poetry Contest sponsored by the Cape Cod chapter of the Veterans for Peace.

The contest was open to all Cape and Islands writers in 14 categories. The poetry criteria included a focus on thoughts of peace and the abolition of war, hate, or violence.

On Saturday, April 28, students Olivia Pate (7th grade, first place winner), Greg McCarron (8th grade, honorable mention), J.J. Mendez (7th grade, honorable mention), and Amadine Muniz (8th grade, first place winner) read their award-winning poems to a full house at the South Congregational Church in Centerville.

"The month of April is poetry month and during that time the students worked on peace poems in 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts class," Connie Leuenberger, Edgartown School English language arts teacher, said. "During this time the students reflected on peace and finding peaceful solutions to small conflicts, as well as larger ones."

Amadine Muniz's winning poem appears below. All of the student's poems may be found at mvtimes.com.

Welcome to the Funeral of Peace and Earth
By Amadine Muniz

Mama tell me a story
One I haven't heard before
One that isn't Cinderella
For that's become quite a bore

Tell me of adventure Mama
Something more exciting than Peter Pan
A story with less fairies and magic
A story of our land

Won't you tell me how it was Mama
Before the monster rose
Before bombs were dropped near our house
And bullets flew out of control

Tell me Mama how was it
Before bodies littered the streets
Before pain glittered in your eyes
And you could roam as you pleased

Tell me Mama was it beautiful
The landscape stretching long
The grass swaying in the summer breeze
Before pollution became too strong

Was it nice to still have families
Complete with a mom, dad, and sister too
With everyone sharing their love
And maybe even babies who lived past two

Now tell me Mama
What was this time called
This time where smiles still existed
Even with the monster on the prowl

Wasn't it something like Peace Mama
That kept the monster at bay
Peace that brought our soldiers home
Peace that gave us sunny days

Wasn't Peace all around Mama
Wedged in everyone alive
So why did they cut it out Mama
And as it bled bid it good-bye

Were they afraid to speak up Mama
Were you afraid too
But didn't you think of the children
That would die a grueling death like you

Did you not think we'd be scarred
By all the blood and souls leaving
By the impurity of a once beautiful earth
That we killed as we left it pealing

It was a meaningless war you know
We're all brothers and sisters in God's eyes
So why does a man still kill his brother
While the world disintegrates into something worthless that we all watched and let die.

Where's the Peace?

by Greg McCarron

Stop pulling my hair!
I called it!
Hey, that's mine!

Where's the Peace?

No givebacks!
I 'm telling!
She has cooties!

Where's the Peace?

That's stupid!
My idea is better!
You can't play here!

Where's the Peace?

You're so funny!
Thank you!
You're my best friend!

There ... is the peace

Untitled

By Olivia Pate

Today I smiled and all at once

Things didn't look so bad.

Today I share with you all

The hopes of peace I have.

Today someone sang to me

and I felt my heart go light.

A peaceful day ahead of me,

without a cloud in sight.

Today I worked with what I had,

and needed nothing more,

and realized what looked like weeds,

were flowers at my door.

Today I hoped a little more,

peace will be achieved,

and I keep on hoping,

thinking all I must do is just believe.

Why War...

By J.J. Mendez, Jr.

Why can't we all just get along
Why do we think when we pull that trigger everything will be ok
Why fight when we know it's not right
Why shoot when you know that they're going to die
Why argue when you're only listening to yourself

Don't forget about the real heroes
Don't ruin a stranger's life
Don't always assume the worst
Don't jump to someone else's conclusion
Don't fight fire with fire

We can all get along
We don't have to pull that trigger
We don't always have to fight
We won't kill anybody if that trigger doesn't get pulled
We really argue with ourselves if we don't listen to anyone else

Stop...