Sunsets and Beaches

Kaleidoscope is an annual publication by the Michigan Reading Association. Every school in Michigan can submit one piece of student writing for Kaleidoscope each year. Students who are included in the anthology are invited to attend a Young Authors Luncheon during the Michigan Reading Association annual conference. There is always an author that gives a presentation to the young writers. In the words of Martha Stewart, It's a good thing!

Because the girls' school district wasn't sending any writings for publication, I began sending them myself about five years ago. The girls submit their writing every other year, when the conference takes place in Grand Rapids. They love the opportunity to listen to a published author. I also take them to the Author's Garden, an area in the conference exhibit hall where authors are scheduled to sign books. And in the past, I have taken G to other sessions--one where she had the opportunity to do some creative writing led by author Wendy Mass. I have as much fun immersing them in the world of readers and writers as they have experiencing it. Here are their submissions for this year:

Sunset by Lili
Pink and yellow dance across the sky
orange lets its color shine
purple peeks over the mountain tops
red dashes from side to side in a streaking blur
the sun slips away under the Earth
darkness comes and with it, the moon.

The Beach by Genevieve
The sand shines like a million diamonds in the early morning sun,
The water glints, saving us all from the blistering days of summer,
Boats are drawn to it like bees to honey,
My beach

Volleyball matches so intense it's like our own little Olympics,
Tanning on the shores for hours,
Turning a lovely shade of cherry red if you forget the sunscreen,
The days are long, hot, and sticky
The only way to survive is the clear blue water of the beach
Fighting heat like a soldier in a deadly war.

The nights are short,
Spent by the flickering flames of a campfire,
Listening to the melody of the season
Stars poke out one by one, timid, as if the sun could come
Back and wash them away in its golden light

The leaves begin to alter,
Trading in their lively green color for crimson, gold, and ginger,
The summer is gone,
But the magic of the beach is only stifled for a small amount of time,
Hibernating over the winter like a lethargic bear,
Preparing itself for the next year.