In 2014, the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas hosted Voices of the Valley, an evening of poems and essays inspired by the natural landscape and water resources where we live and play. The event was held in March at The Book Haven in Salida, and Colorado Central Magazine was a sponsor. As part of the event, middle school students in the Upper Arkansas Valley were invited to participate in a literary contest. Here are the winners from fifth through seventh grades.
Ice Falls
By Madison Schubert, 7th grade, Salida Middle School
I always thought waterfalls were beautiful, and they are. But there is something I have come to discover that is far more spectacular. I like to call them Ice Falls.
Like the way a lake freezes over, I have seen a waterfall do the same thing. It looks as if the ice floats in midair, the perfect definition of defying gravity.
I have a personal attachment to these frozen waterfalls because even though I don’t particularly like winter, Ice Falls actually give me something to look forward to when the weather turns cold. I discovered them with my dad when I was little. We were climbing and I was complaining about the weather, how I thought winter was a waste of time. But that’s when I discovered something I actually liked about the season. And it has been something I’ve really appreciated ever since.
I really wish I could see another Ice Falls any time I’m sad. It is just something that makes me feel better. But they are rare. First, you have to actually locate a waterfall, and it has to be cold enough for it to be frozen. But it is something that I really wish would just be more common, like flowers, trees, birds, animals, buildings, etc. The world just needs more Ice Falls.
Too many people don’t know how beautiful they are.
River in the Valley
By Ripley Judd, 5th grade, Crest Academy
Blue ribbon
Winding through the valley,
Flowers flank your sides
The willows gather
To see your splendor,
Rushing through the valley.
Green glitter
Dusted on your surface
Elms lean over you,
To whisper to each other.
Girls in blue dresses,
Gather your water
So they might have a drink,
From the river
Galloping through the valley.
Brown buttons
Fish call their home,
Dropping eggs for new fish
Bubbles pop
Delicate as ice
As they follow the current,
Hurrying down the valley
Through the pincushion hills,
The ribbon runs faster still,
As if it’s late.
The river slithers downhill,
Rushing through the valley.
The Beautiful Upper Arkansas
By Brooke Beasley, 7th grade, Salida Middle School (on ukulele)
Verse:
Rafting on the cold Arkansas water
Hiking up the tallest Fourteener
Skiing down the tallest run
Living here can be so much fun.
Fishing in our fresh lakes
Swimming in the river until it’s late
Looking at views without a flaw
I love living in the Upper Arkansas.
Chorus:
I love the valley where I live
It has so much to give
Mountains full of hikes and bikes
Rivers full of rafts and laughs
Forests full of beautiful camping trips
That leaves the world in awe
The beautiful Upper Arkansas
I love living in the Upper Arkansas
Verse:
All of the colorful flowers
Hiking mountain trails for hours
Skating on our frozen lakes
Admiring the falling snowflakes
Ziplining through the towering trees
Going through powder on our skis
Running through the river park
Mountain biking until it’s dark
Chorus:
I love the valley where I live
It has so much to give
Mountains full of hikes and bikes
Rivers full of rafts and laughs
Forests full of beautiful camping trips
That leaves the world in awe
The beautiful Upper Arkansas
I love living in the Upper Arkansas
Bridge:
When the sunset falls
On the Sawatch Range
The colors turn to red
The mountains seem to change
It’s amazing, breathtaking
Chorus:
I love the valley where I live
It has so much to give
Mountains full of hikes and bikes
Rivers full of rafts and laughs
Forests full of beautiful camping trips
That leaves the world in awe
The beautiful Upper Arkansas
I love living in the Upper Arkansas
Powder Rush
By Mitchell Tanner, 7th grade, Salida Middle School
You can feel it
Bouncing over powder as if life
Were a giant pinball machine.
You are a blade
Slicing through the thick winter air
Like a chef slicing vegetables
Your grip gets tighter around the poles
As you excel with enormous speed
Speed
It builds up as you glide through the thick powder
Throwing a blanket of cool crystals into the air
With every turn
And more of them fall from an opaque sky
Finding a spot to fall upon the clean groomed ground
Soft yet they sting your face
A natural acupuncture
Relaxing
Ski.
The River of Destiny
By Reilly Stack, 6th grade, Crest Academy
I can conquer any obstacle,
Given enough time.
When I encounter an enemy,
They can only be cautious.
I can’t be outnumbered,
As I am always regrouping.
My troops are endless,
Defeating any foe.
Yet without me,
They all would die anyway.
None hate me,
But few love me.
I am like a nursery
That holds an entire ecosystem.
I am so large, no one has seen my entire body all at once.
I have taken so many lives
And spared many more.
I can cause destruction in its most terrifying form,
And yet,
I am necessary for life.
What am I?
Under
By Ripleigh Potts, 7th grade, Salida Middle School
The cold,
Washes over me
Shock still
Then movement
Fast movement
I am pulled down
Toward the wave
Then,
I’m Under
A peaceful quiet
A piece of rare silence
That doesn’t exist anymore
Cars, planes, trains
Manmade sounds
A cacophony
And then, sometimes, you can catch it,
The wind of nature
The charming chattering
Of the birds
The busy buzzing
Of the bees
The gentle gurgle
Of a stream
And last of all
The swift swaying
Of the trees.
I relish those rare sounds
Just as I relish the Under
A place where,
I am one with nature
Just a piece of the river
But then . . .
I become the river
In the silence of the Under
I’m not just swimming
I am the river.
