The newest contest in West Virginia for young Christian writers has identified the winners of their latest competition. The Open Poetry contest was free to enter for any resident of West Virginia 11-18 years old. Each contestant had the freedom to use any form of poetry they preferred, as long as it was related to their Christian faith.
The panel of judges expressed their admiration for the talent presented and also the difficulty in judging so many excellent entries. The poems were scored based on a rubric including 10 elements: 1) Beauty, Power, Education or Entertainment 2) Message & Interest 3) Technical Excellence 4) Rhyme and/or Meter 5) Assonance and Alliteration 6) Form & Flow 7) Choice of Words & Readability 8) Overall Impact 9) Originality and 10) Adherence to Contest Rules. The winners were determined by the highest cumulative score by a panel of four judges.
The winner for the 11-14 age group is Ryley Bentz of Kingwood, West Virginia. Ryley's entry, "World Without a Maker" earned the top score. And for the 15-18 age group, Scarlett Cooper of Daniels, WV earned the top score with the entry titled, "The Voice That God Gave Me." Congratulations Ryley & Scarlett!
Each winner will receive $50 cash, an Ignite Bible for Teens and a book of poetry for their respective age group. Follow our Writers Contest page to learn more about the origins of the Young Christian Writers Competitions and details about upcoming events.
Today's winning entries are published below:
World Without a Maker?
by Ryley Bentz, 14 yrs old, homeschooled at Broken Road Academy
None of us were here when the Earth begun,
but we can read about it in Genesis 1.
God created light, the first ingredient in creation,
this is what gives us our day and night rotation.
Next He added water and the sky,
giving the Earth characteristics as another day went by.
He made space for the land in step three,
creating grass, flowers, vines and trees.
On day four He made the stars, sun and moon,
so we can tell time like morning, evening, and noon.
He created birds and fish of every kind,
making their home in the air and sea He designed.
The next day He filled the land with life,
making animals, along with Adam and his wife.
On the final day everything was completed,
and "it was very good," He articulated.
It may sound like a story, something separate from science,
but I think they are really in alliance.
If you can't have a cake without a baker,
how could we have a world without a maker?
The Voice That God Gave Me
by Scarlett Cooper, 17 years old, homeschooled
God is a power beyond comprehension,
God is a love that can break any tension.
God is my strength,
God is my shield,
God is the sword that my soul now does wield.
Jesus came to me at my extreme time of need,
He will carry my heart and he always will heed.
My love for him pours from my tongue and my lips,
Though the thorns of the world will tear it to bits.
The "world is my oyster" as some may say,
But the pearl inside the oyster does not belong to The Way.
As I pour out my soul on the floor of my room,
The binds of Satan cannot take bloom.
For the sword of the Spirit answers my call,
And wrings out the devil from taking it all.
I cry out in pain from the devil's cruel brand,
Then The Lord comes and saves me with his Holy Right Hand.
Although I may waver I know that one thing is true,
With the Trinity in my heart I never will skew.
With my Bible on the table and my head in my hands,
I know that Jesus has his own master plan.
It may not be today or even tomorrow,
But I know that he will lift my every sorrow.
I cry and I cry in the tangles of sin,
And I fear that sometimes the beast may win,
But Jesus has always been there by my side,
And by Christ Almighty I can beat every stride.
I prayed that one prayer at a ripe young age,
And the Son of God has been with me through every stage.
I could not have made a better life choice,
For I now have a shield, a sword, and a voice.
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