The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

This is the ninth year former Big Sandy High School graduate Ellaraine Lockie has provided the English students at BSHS the opportunity to participate in the Walter Gerson Poetry Contest.

Each year Ellaraine Lockie judges students’ poetry, makes comments about the poems and awards students for their excellent poetry and participation. This year is no exception. There are several cash prizes and several honorable mentions.

Two teachers at Big Sandy high school have been involved in the poetry contest. Lauren Clampitt handled the Gerson poems for the first six years they were in existence. This is Kimberly Perry’s first year at handling the Big Sandy part of the contest.

Each year the students in grades 8 through 12 compose a poem. They are all mailed to Ellaraine Lockie in California. Lockie, a published poet whose poems appear monthly in “The Mountaineer”, makes her only requirement for the poems is that they be in free verse. She judges all of the poems, decides on three money winners and several honorable mentions and then mails them back. She funds the prizes each year from her own pocket. This is a very special cause for Lockie and so appreciated by the rest of us. The Big Sandy school has appreciated Lockie’s willingness to allow the contest each year.

Once again “The Mountaineer” will print all of the poems. Thanks to Big Sandy students, Ellaraine Lockie and Kimberly Perry for making our pages better!

Teacher’s Choice winner is “Isn’t it Amazing” by Noelle Beirwagen.

Isn’t it Amazing

By Noelle Beirwagen

Do you ever think just how amazing it is

That there is a world above

There is a world in the great abyss

And a world underneath us in between our toes

Isn’t it amazing that there are creatures that can fly

Don’t you think it’s amazing that there are creatures that breathe under water

Aren’t the colors amazing

The ones that light up the sky

The ones on the flowers that you see in summer

Now as I say that

Isn’t it amazing that there is time for every occasion

There is a great occasion for white fluffy snow

A great occasion for all to grow

A great occasion for perfect weather and things to turn orange

A great occasion for things get warm and beautiful

Isn’t it a miracle that we can breath

Isn’t it a miracle every second that your heart beats

Isn’t it amazing that you can walk town the road

Isn’t it all such a blessing that we get this one chance

To understand the beauty

But the only setback is

There is one curse that has been bestowed