Runners up. My Lovely Looney Luna. By Cassie Van Doran. Luna. A dog. A dog
who is close to my heart. She has white fur and black spots. No part dalmatian,.
2013 Winners Youth Division - 6th grade and younger
1st Place What I Do By Elijah Dumbrique A dog I am, it's the way I act, I bark and growl anger is what I lack I lose myself when I see a car I chase it, I chase it far. Things I do make me, me, for begging for food that is always free. I whimper, I cry to play I strife, but I know my family loves me for the rest of my life.
Runners up Cows By Sara Hamilton cows,cows they don't Meow but instead they moo they eat lots of grass they smell a lot but especially their poo Black and white spots every where I'm not quite sure if they really have hair milk, cheese, bread,and butter
All of that stuff comes out of their utter and although I don't really want to pet and touch I really love cows very much
Finster and Otis By Katie Keenan Finster and Otis my two cats, Finster's smaller, Otis is fat. Together they are very good pals, But when they play, Otis starts to growl. Finster is orange with some very cute stripes, His head patterns are all sorts of types. His meow is so tiny and so very cute, But compared to Otis, Finster seems mute. Otis is fourteen, He is very big, Just like Finster, he eats like a pig. My best pal, Otis is so very sweet, Granola Bars are his favorite treats. Finster and Otis, my two cats, Finster is smaller, Otis is fat. I love my kitties!
Honorable Mentions Life with Felix By Izabella Nowicki As the girl got sicker, the kitten proceeded to lick her Knowing that she was reaching the end. His dark face and blue eyes watched as she reached her demise Keeping her warm as he snuggled closer. The girl was gone but he knew he wasn't done With spreading his love yet. He crossed 200 miles and brought all sorts of smiles When reaching his new home in Lafayette.
There he met Izzy and it was love at first site. He loved to fish and chase her while she flew her kite. She named him Felix and he was a handsome boy but when it came to other cats he seemed to turn coy. He didn't ask for much, he only wanted to play. One look in his eyes, and all her problems would go away.
Goodbye Bat By Hailey Read Cat, cat Oh my black cat you were so black I named you Bat and although you did scratch me and give me wounds I never thought he would leave me so soon. My bff Jen always said "I must give you my cute kitten!" So we raced in and I was shocked by the kitten's locks. I took him home, but when I got to my house my other cat Shay fought Bat like a mouse. I knew Bat was not safe so I had to give him to another place and although I only had Bat for two months I never thought it would be so tough. Soon Bat left me to go to his new family. After he left me my heart stung and ached no that pain was not fake. It's been a year since that time and this little rhyme is making me remember all those good times Cat, cat Oh my black cat you were so black I named you Bat
and although you did scratch me and give me wounds I never he would leave me so soon.
Small Tiny By Nick Bolanos Who is running at night It's that thing that can fight Shes small, fluffly, and round Well she sure can't weigh a pound Shes always happy and never down So you're telling me you've never seen her frown? Yes her eyes are shiny I bet shes whiny No- she is Tiny
Mickey By Caity Kaiser Mickey is spotted all nice and dotted if he licks you he won't kick you even when I have to pick up his poo I still love him through and through If he had a voice there would be no choice his would be the cutest even to the rudest please don't take my Mickey away
Sorrow By Mikayla Johnson She is she was Angel it was a sorrow giving her up ballin' my eyes out everyday where did you go Angel where did you go as her sweet paws walk away it was liike having to not see family members Angel where are you let them take care of you as well as I did
Pets Aren't Just Pets By Andrew Seeley Pets aren’t just animals, They’re friends. They play with you, They help you, And they love you. A person and their pet Are closer than two peas in a pod Tied together by an unbreakable rope Connected with an invincible bond Never to be broken.
Youth Division - 7th grade and older
1st Place Oscar, my 18 yr. old feline friend By Kayla Ferro We recently adopted a cat From BARKS rescue company I am so glad we did He is happy as can be We got him from a foster What's his name? Its Oscar He is an orange and white tabby And he makes us very happy Oscar has a thyroid disorder It's hard for him to gain weight We feed him alot so he can get big When he eats he snorts like a pig He is such a beautiful cat He is very very kind Even though he is eighteen He is still a kitten inside When he got in the car He was a bit scared
But I said trust me Because we came prepared We had a new furry cat carrier Some treats, a bed and things And when he finally got home He was treated like a king With wet food on his plate And turkey all the time All the attention and love he gets there is no reason to whine He really likes my lizards and fish He thinks they are easy prey He tries to get in the tank Just about everyday Oscar is my new pet And I love him very much I plan to keep him If he dont eat my fish for lunch He is the best cat anyone can own I am glad he has his furever home I am sure he is happy here to live out his very last years.
Runners up My Lovely Looney Luna By Cassie Van Doran Luna. A dog. A dog who is close to my heart. She has white fur and black spots. No part dalmatian, Yet half pointer, half pitbull. She's getting old... But what dog doesn't? She always sniffs and licks everyone. That's just her way of saying, "Hello!"
She barks at the squirrels in the yard, scurrying all about. She's one of the most friendly dogs ever! She may act stupid, but it's old age. Sure she runs into things, but she's going blind. Some of the things she does aren't really her fault. She gets yelled at alot, but I baby her. I make sure she's happy; whenever I'm at my mom's house, that is. She's my baby girl. I love her with all my young and healthy heart. Nothing can break my love for her. My Pet. My Dog. My Friend. Luna.
Cotton Ball By Brian Lake His soft stringy fur brushes against my hand as he searches through his dense forest and I watch as the emerald blades of grass dance in the breeze
Honorable Mentions Wonderful Jumbo By Samantha Pulido If I had one I'd name it Jumbo It'd learn to speak like Patrick, "wumbo." I'd dye it green, it'd have a stache he'd run so fast when I say "dash!" He wouldn't bite, he wouldn't talk He'd have the most phsycadelic walk He would strut everywhere he goes He'd get pedicures on his toes My elephant will be so cute because it's mine That's absolute!
My Dog Stewie By Emily Brennan I love my dog Stewie through and through even when I have to pick up his warm mushy poo. He is the best and I will never put him to the test. He is fluffy like a puffy cotton ball. He is young and three and when I walk him we both run free. We are very good pals and he never growls. He is named after root beer and if I lost him I would shed many tears. He can run really quick and i love it when he gives me a nice slimey lick on the face. He is the best dog ever and he would never hurt a feather. I love him with all of my heart even when he makes a loud stinky fart. I love my dog Stewie!
Sosha By Emma Loughrey Sweet like my sister One heck of a cat Stripes not spots on her Hhello I would say and she would hiss Always in a different mood
My Best Friend By Gabriel Gonzales I Coudnt believe the day you came home You were so small i could lift you in the air You were pretty boring though, all you did was drool and bit me, and slept, and stayed bald(really, no hair)! a weeks time had past and then came in your hair it was black with tiny white strands like me as you became cuter, you also became meaner I tried to play, but you stung like a bee a month came in and you were crazier than ever all you did was eat,sleep and BITE! we tried to calm you, but you didn’t want to you didnt hug like a panda, but you bit like a mite I looked forward to having you my whole life but when I did, I had second thoughts but you were a member of my family, not an uncle not a dad, not a brother, but still couldn’t be caught you were cute like a baby you were strong like a brother yet you were none of these you were... My Pet! and even though you were never kind to me I still love you, and wish to take care of you and though I wish you were a little nicer I know you’re just following your instincts, from who? Oh that’s right God gave it to you and I have to accept it it’s just the natural you you’re my dog Bentley, I just dont wanna get bit.
Friend of Love By Maram Bakr A friend to accompany me where ever I go And follow my scent A creature to keep me out of my worries A love present in my eyes
Adult Division
Tie for 1st Place Vestige By Susan Bellfield I found your squeaky ball today, surfing a soapy wave behind the washing machine. It was the yellow one, with the missing squeaker the one we searched for for days. I replaced the ball with a red one that sat in the toy box for years. Some things are like that. A broken yellow squeaky ball. A perfect little dog.
Empties By Mary Redus I am not talking about the spent soda bottles rolling round the floor of the car, dishes by the sink after a meal, or pews gone vacant on a weekday. What I am talking about is what happens when a dog dies. Not the obvious things the little bed gone cold, the silent leash hanging from the hook, or the sad bowl on the floor. I am talking about
the greetings gone missing when you walk into the house, the sounds of every day toenails clicking music across the floor. I mean the absence of that little shadow following everywhere you went, eyes that loved you no matter what your only fan club disbanded. How routines have gone astray, with nothing to replace them. Finding yourself standing at the door and not knowing why turning back alone.
Runners up SWEET DEAR CAT By Mary Redus Sweet dear cat, for 18 years you were my soul mate gracing my lap on occasion as silent and meditative as Buddha and just as transcendent. But now, slow and thinning, you are my constant shadow monitoring my every movement as insistent and stubborn as Big Brother and just as intrusive. Sweet old cat, for 18 years silent, why do you suddenly sing the blues into the dark of night as loud and lonesome
as Ella and just as soulful? Why, now, elderly and tired, do you beg for saucers full of milk as thirsty and hungry as Kitten and just as needy? Do you see the darkness coming, and fearing it, seek comfort? Do you relish the moment knowing it is all we really have? Is your rumble of purr a final benediction as merciful and loving as Jesus and just as forgiving?
Honorable Mentions Sonnet for Pistol By Tara Ryazansky My darling dog is nothing like a Westminster one; She might have an extra dewclaw; But she is much more fun; Her fur, black & wiry, covers my clothes; Don't sit on my couch if you dare wear white. She sheds, she slobbers, she kind of smells; She wakes the baby when she barks at night; She's always begging for a treat She would never qualify to show; She doesn't do a single trick; And every other dog's her foe; My darling dog, my humble mutt, she stole our hearts away at once: And though her well-behaved moments are quite rare No fluffy mannered purebred could ever quite compare.
The Cat Meditates on the Nature of his Existence By Donna Spector I’m tired of it, never being understood when I explain quite clearly the seven forms of boredom that afflict me. Yes, call it existential angst, if you must persist in trivializing my ennui. It’s the small betises I cannot bear: the way my brother lets his tail hang in our water bowl, or the way my human calls me Foggy, not the manly monosyllable Fog. Furthermore. I’m sick unto death of diet cat food, all fiber and not a hint of soul. My brother Smoke’s the fat one, I am sleek and swift of foot. My antics with a bell ball or a ball of yarn amuse my human, while my brother snores in our only decent chair. Why should he receive equal asparagus treats? Does he bring in baby mice and torment them cleverly before he shares them with my human? Does he sing and moan and yowl to her? Hah! At best he can produce the tiniest of squeaks. Nor will I speak of his faux ailments that drive our silly human frantic or the sick-duck smell that lingers in his fur when he returns each time from the vet. I need a room of my own, some psychic space, a tree to climb, and—hear this, my human— if I wish to roam around the roof, I will not come to some dumb fireman, who demeans me, crying Kitty, kitty, as though I have no brains. I seek equal companions, and wander where I will.
LIFE WITH CATS By Amaranth Cline Three cat statues when I come home posed on the back of the sofa, one on hindquarters like an Egyptian, one curled up rounded as a soft wool cap, one with his paws hanging down, splayed like a drunk. Everyday a different work of art, an infinite number of combinations. Sometimes all three together on the big chair wrapped around each other hardly raising heads to look at me coming in the door. Sick in bed when the idiots started war in Iraq, my three cats were there cozying me and I thought about the poor cats of Baghdad – a poem still unpublished. Only one left now –over twenty, limping, rickety around the house all bony, fur raggedy – she lit up suddenly and got two mice after I’d reproached her for weeks for letting them steal her food. She’s an old lady darling, the two of us rickety but still have fire.
I love being a Scotty! By Beverly Maline I eat and sleep and like to play. I sit and speak and sometimes stay!
I like tennis balls and soft squeaky toys. They don't last very long, but bring me such joy. I have a big yard where I can run free. I love to chase the squirrels up the tree! I bark when I see someone come in my yard. They better watch out, there's a Scotty on guard! I dig in the dirt and roll in the grass. I get all muddy and then need a bath. I enjoy going for rides in the truck or the car. I have so much fun even though I don't go far. I like the mailman and UPS man, They bring me goodies in a great big van! I wear a sweater when it gets cold, I look really silly, but cute I'm told. I go to the vet and really don't mind They treat me good and are always so kind. I never turn down a cookie or treat And I always know when it's time to eat! Every three months to the groomer's I go, To get snipped and clipped and a pretty bow! I get all excited to go for a walk, I jump and dance, as though I could talk. I can take a nap at the drop of a hat, Wouldn't you too, after doing all that!
Two Mongooses By MV Fabiyas Clumsy beauties come knitted to the yard, slithering on the dewy glassy grass. Two mongooses in natty brown coats are looking for the fare scrap. The dawn window creaks as it opens its eye. And Master Babu chases behind with stones. Oblivion is a bliss - the mongooses return in the dawn, making Babu busy.
As these brown emperors reign among the shrubs, snakes keep miles away: the invisible......... But Babu stoops to the pelting raptures, Then the mongooses retreat into the chinks. Yet, their presence is felt. The wild plants nod and one mongoose comes without its mate, "Where is the other?”. Babu dashes out, but picks not stones up. Every hole and every nook in and out the yard, Babu seeks on, and grows……………
Thinks he's a Human By Dominique Klimek We got him so young we got him so small he doesn't know he's a cat he has no idea at all he's a tiny little person that whines and complains he's out when it's sunny and in when it rains paws up on the table he sits on a chair his head peeking over to see what is there his head on a pillow body under the sheets he snuggles close to my body I can feel his heart beat his age is finally starting to show his eye sight is going his legs are slow still he cuddles like when he was small and walks around the house like he's ten feet tall he was never a kitten, animal or cat he has always been one of us and I am sure of that
