听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Gordon F. Kells students are thriving as published authors. Earlier this year a group of eight students in grades 7 and 8 were selected as finalists for the Polar Expressions Publishing poetry competition. Now three young authors: Morgan Robertson (Gr. 8), Jessica Moffat (Gr. 8), and Rylee Himmelspeck (Gr. 7) have been published in Windscript, a Saskatchewan high school writing magazine.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Moffat wrote a short story titled 鈥淢onkey Bars,鈥� while Robertson and Himmelspeck both submitted free verse poems. Robertson鈥檚 is titled, 鈥淏ody Contact in Ball?鈥� and Himmelspeck鈥檚 work is titled 鈥渋 will.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Robertson and Himmelspeck鈥檚 poems were both works created from an assignment given to them in English class, while Moffat鈥檚 short story was a piece she had written at home for herself.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 want to be an author, so being published now, I can already say I am an author,鈥� Moffat says proudly.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 just go for it, there鈥檚 nothing to lose,鈥� Robertson said.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 just thought I鈥檇 try it; it鈥檚 my first year writing poems,鈥� Himmelspeck said. 鈥淢y first poem didn鈥檛 make it [into the Polar Expressions competition], so I thought I鈥檇 try again.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Their English teacher, Morgan Wasylyk, explained that she sought out a variety of competitions this school year for students to enter in order to give more meaning to their work: 鈥淭he purpose was to give students the opportunity to be published. Each month I would let them know what competitions could be entered and it was their choice if they wanted to.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to find purpose for their writing because I find we have so much we have to teach them and it鈥檚 nice to let them have the freedom to write what they want.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The three students all agreed that some topics in English class aren鈥檛 as interesting to write about as others; but, that overall English is their favourite subject in school. It allows their creativity to flourish, which is something their teacher points out.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey are exceptional writers,鈥� Wasylyk stated. 鈥淕etting to read their work, it鈥檚 really very mature. For instance, Jessica鈥檚 short story 鈥淢onkey Bar,鈥� is actually a metaphor for love.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Interestingly the magazine is a for high school students to publish in, typically grades 10 through 12 students submit their works, so the accomplishment for the grade 7 and two grade 8 students is exceptional.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e actually left out their grades when we submitted them, so that those choosing wouldn鈥檛 possibly dismiss them based on that since it is a high school publication,鈥� Wasylyk said.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In addition to being published in the magazine, the trio were also asked to attend a public reading in Regina on Monday, May 22 鈥� which had them up in front of a crowd to read their published work 鈥� for the kick off of Cathedral Village Arts Festival.
听
i will
By Rylee Himmelspeck
听
No time passes
As I sit and think
Of the bad things,
Wondering what happened
To that girl I could have saved.
听
What if it was Joey?
听
I鈥檓 scared.
I鈥檓 frightened.
I鈥檓 afraid.
I try to look on the bright side, but鈥�
Never mind.
听
I feel so alone.
I feel like a coward.
But then I remember I鈥檓 not alone.
I remember the laughs with my family,
The ups and downs鈥�
The love.
听
Gets me thinking,
I will get through this.
It will be hard.
叠耻迟鈥�
I will.
听
Body Contact in Ball?
By Morgan Robertson
听
I hop out of the car
My cleats hit the ground, dust flies up
I can鈥檛 wait to start the game!
听
It鈥檚 the third inning
I鈥檓 on second base
The ball is hit between first base and me
I run like a cheetah to first
She鈥檚 out!
Suddenly the world goes black.
听
I see myself from a bird鈥檚-eye view
The ball is hit to me
听
I open my eyes
I鈥檓 on the ground
Black silhouettes around me
Shooting pain in my head
Put my hands to my head
All I feel is dirt, or is it hay?
听
I get up with the help of my teammates
Slowly walk to the dugout
Sit on the bench
Ice on my head
Gauze on my bloody elbow
My hair a rats鈥� nest
Caked in dirt
I still wish I was on the field.
听
The games are over
I hop into the cream Suburban
(after I鈥檝e dusted off)
We drive along the smooth road.
听
I鈥檓 a sloth undercover.
They won鈥檛 let me sleep.
I can鈥檛 wait for bedtime.
听
听
Monkey Bars
By Aleatha (Jessica) Moffat
听
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎nd she knows,鈥� I said. 鈥淪he knows holding onto him is just like monkey bars. The longer she holds on, the worse her hands feel, the more cramped they get. Everyone is watching her, waiting for her to drop to the ground, or grab onto the next bar. Dangling, holding onto him with both hands: she can鈥檛 push herself forward, or back. She鈥檚 too attached.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淓ach person has their own set of monkey bars and each goes at their own pace. He has moved ahead of her by so many new lovers, so many bars. Her face is twisted, because she knows she has to grab the next bar, and move on. The sun is shining on the metal beneath her fingers, a flame under her palms. Her hands are slipping. She鈥檚 going to drop.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淢ommy? What happens if she drops?鈥� Her wide blue eyes look up to me, filled with wonder and awe. For a split second I swear I see the stars.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hen she gets the strength to get back up, she will get to start on the next bar,鈥� I whisper to her, wrapping an arm around her. I need to stay calm. It鈥檚 just a story.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚f she stays on the bar forever?鈥� She leans in closer, her tiny hands on my thigh now.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淗er hands will ache with a constant pain, and she鈥檒l never be able to reach for the next bar because they hurt.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎nd if she only grabs the next bar with one hand?鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淪he won鈥檛 be able to fully move on.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hat would that do to her?鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淗urt her. If she can鈥檛 move with both hands she won鈥檛 be able to go on.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚s that you, mommy?鈥� Her brown hair curls around her fingertip as she buries her face behind her hands, peeks between the cracks of her fingers at my hands. She stares at them as thought she can see the blisters at the base of my fingers. And the burn marks at my fingertips.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淢aybe. And it does hurt sweetie, but it鈥檚 love.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 She stands and wraps her arms around me, as she did the first gift he gave her before leaving us. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be, Mommy. I love you,鈥� she whispers into my ear.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I want to yell at her to never say that, because any of us who have said it has died.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Now, she is infected. Now she begins on her set of monkey bars.
