Connor, age 18; Cassidy, age 17; and their Teacher

 

Seeds soar and scatter in the warm breeze, traveling far.

Exploring roots journeying through the soil at the lakeside.

New leaves dance to the melody of the California wind.

Steady branches stretch to the sky, grasping for the sun.

Elaborate colors decorate the Autumn ground and sky.

 

Offering seeds to travel the wind, plants grow and spread.

From this sturdy home life is given:

 

Whistling birds nest in the strong tree, high above danger.

One, two, three eggs lay under their mother as they grow.

Now they fight for life, to emerge from their white shield.

Day by day, their wings grow stronger, soon to leave their mother….

Elated birds discover the sky, embarking on their own voyage,

Racing through the warm breeze, traveling far.

 

[First Place Poem, Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild]