March 6, 2008 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or Winner of Two |
Local girl wins poetry contest
Ten-year-old Lena Greenberg, a home-schooled fourth grader from Chestnut Hill, won first prize in the 2007 December Cricket League Poetry Contest from Cricket magazine. Her poem, “The Lights Across the Street,” won in the age 10 and under division. A regular reader of Cricket, Lena looks at the Cricket League monthly contest poems in every issue. The theme for December’s contest was “Beautiful Winter Moment.” Lena found hers while sitting by her living room window on a snowy day. Across the street, one light shone from a neighbor’s window, and that was all Lena needed to kindle her creative fire. A few days before the Christmas deadline, she sent in a poem of her own and by mid-January received her winning package. “I screamed!” Lena said when she found out she had won. “I was waiting for weeks. I hope I have experiences like this many more times.” Lena, who wants to be a writer, loves to write poetry and short stories. Even though she is young, Lena had hoped for a while to get a piece published, and now her dream has come true. She also enjoys playing the violin and spending time with her sister, Anna, who also loves to write. The whole Greenberg family, including parents David and Marisol, were thrilled for Lena. “Lena writes the way most kids play videogames,” her father said. Before every meal, the family reads poems from an anthology, and when it’s Lena’s turn it is not unusual for her to read one of her own. Every month, Cricket has a contest for young readers to enter with a new theme. An average of 700 to 800 children enter not only from across the nation, but also from as far away as Africa and Australia. The poems are judged accordingly, in age groupings as well as on creativity and originality. As a contest winner, Lena received a book of poetry, a certificate of recognition — which is proudly framed in the family living room — and the publication of her poem in Cricket. Lena Greenberg’s poem is republished here with permission from Cricket. The Lights Across the Street The candles are lit in our own house We celebrate our holiday light From outside the snow-flecked window Our hearts fill with joy and delight.
But as the snow drifts from the heavens And I lean on the windowpane I see from the house across the street The light of one flickering flame.
It shines just as bright as ours does It flickers, winks, and glows It must kindle a story for others As it shines, reflected by snow.
I wonder what the light could mean What holiday it celebrates And what wonder it conjures for others Just as we light candles eight.
The holiday seasons a wonder for many Looking past the snow and sleet When ours is done, I gaze and imagine About the lights across the street.
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