Pikes Peak Library District is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest for Children:
- Cooper Alvin - "Bricks of Wheat"
- Emily Lunsford - "Chocolate Peppermint Delight"
- Azul Padilla - "Bitter and Sour"
- Avery Pilkington - "How to Make a Pot of Rhino Stew"
- Maya Rebugio - "The Life of a Cupcake"
- Madison Smith - "I Love Pasta That’s No Doubt"
Bricks of Wheat
By Cooper Alvin
As I come home from school, filled with resent,
I see cold cream of wheat, hard as cement!
I thought what could be built with such hard a material,
Build skyscrapers out of this rock-hard cold cereal.
A new way of building! Who would of thought evolution
Could lead to such a disgusting solution.
Cream of wheat bricks! Now that’s something new!
Guess the trick to construction is edible goo!
Someone says: “The tallest building is inside Dubai.”
“That’s nothing! Build it with soup!” I reply.
We’d build it high and we’d build it wide.
Why would we do it? ‘Cause nobody’s tried.
A cream of wheat pool? No, that’d be just gross.
A cream of wheat coaster? (sigh) That’d be shunned on by most.
A cream of wheat car? Something no one would borrow.
Well, I’m out of ideas! Come back tomorrow!
Chocolate Peppermint Delight
By Emily Lunsford
One day during lunch,
My friend and I chatted.
She asked,
“If you could invent a dessert,
ANY dessert,
What would it be?”
We started sharing,
And worked together to imagine…
The Chocolate Peppermint Delight!
A chocolate lava cake,
But with peppermint bits in the lava!
Sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream,
With chocolate chip cookie crumbled in
On top of the cake.
A peppermint shell,
For the luscious ice cream.
Topping it off,
Caramel sauce,
And don’t forget
The flavorful peppermint sauce!
Whipped cream generously deposited
Around the plate,
And up the cake.
Coming out from our dream
Of heavenly desserts,
We smiled, thinking about
The luxurious treat.
Our mouths watering,
We looked down at our trays of cafeteria food.
And our otherwise fine tacos,
They didn’t seem nearly as good anymore.
Nor did our fruit cups,
Or our milk.
With the Chocolate Peppermint Delight on our minds,
Everything else faded in comparison,
To a dull gray.
It’s funny how a daydream,
A vision of succulent delicacies,
Can bleach perfectly fine food,
Leaving only the fantasy,
Bright and colorful.
That day I learned
That pure imagination
Can achromatize
Reality.
Bitter and Sour
By Azul Padilla
I’m grabbing a mango
Dancing like a weirdo
Cutting the mango
Nice and yellow
I ask my mother
Can you pass me the chili powder
I sprinkled it all over
Bitter and sour
How to Make a Pot of Rhino Stew
By Avery Pilkington
How to make a pot of rhino stew:
Add these five things to your Crockpot
Slice up some carrots
Chop up some potatoes
Dice up some worms
Add one huge RHINO
Add a dash of ground herbs
Put the lid on
Cook for SEVEN HOURS
The Life of a Cupcake
By Maya Rebugio
They put me in the oven to bake.
Me, a depressed and miserable cupcake.
Feeling the heat, I started to bubble.
Watching the others, I knew I was in trouble.
They opened the door and started my life.
Frosting me with a silver knife,
Decorating me with candy jewels.
The rest of my batch looked like fools.
Lifting me up, she took off my wrapper.
Feeling the breeze, I wanted to slap her.
Opening her mouth with shiny teeth inside,
This was the day this cupcake died.
I Love Pasta That’s No Doubt
By Madison Smith
Hear it boil from the pot
Crunch munchy from the box
I love pasta a whole whole lot
Short, fat, long, tall, just ask me I’ve got them all
Slippery, slimy, spaghetti
Whirly, twirly, colored noodles
Cheesy, wheezy, macaroni
Spiraled, curved, rigid, smooth, pasta makes me really groove
Pesto perfecto green and grand, even beefaroni from the can.
Rigatoni in my tummy
Amazing alfredo hot and yummy
With veggies or without
I love pasta that’s no doubt.
Pikes Peak Library District is collecting stories about the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents of the Pikes Peak Region are invited to share their stories and experiences. People can submit written stories, photographs, or videos depicting their response to the pandemic and its impact on their lives.
Any observations are welcome. Submissions can include dealing with illness, quarantine, sheltering in-home, social distancing, employment, working from home, working in health care, schooling, travel, and other general observations.
Click here to submit your story.
The Library is here to serve you, regardless of the circumstances! While you’re welcome back inside of PPLD locations, you can still take advantage of curbside services, with a new park and text option! Our Libraries and Mobile Library Services make it easy for you to return materials and safely pickup items on holds, wireless print jobs, and take and make kits – limiting any direct contact with Library staff or other patrons. Also, don’t forget that you can still use the Library remotely and connect with a librarian by phone, live chat, or email. Learn more about our response to COVID-19 and what you can expect from the Library during the ongoing pandemic.
Returns
Book drops or return bins are available 24/7 outside of all libraries, so you’re welcome to return books, movies, and other physical items anytime that’s convenient for you.
Holds
Ready to pick-up an item on hold, wireless print job, or take and make kits? Locations are now offering a park and text option to make it even easier for you! Simply drive, bike, or walk up, and have your library card number and PIN ready. Upon arrival, you’ll want to follow the available instructions like park and text, drive-thru, or walk up to the table. (Curbside hours and instructions vary by location, so please check below or by phone.) Then you’ll be on your way to enjoy a new book, movie, or other finds! Click on your Library location below to see their curbside service hours, phone numbers, and pickup instructions:
Homebound patrons can designate another person to pick up their holds. Please call your Library for more information and to schedule such a pickup. For new items, place your hold in the Catalog or mobile app and select your preferred location for pickup. Once you receive your email or text notification (if opted in), check your Library’s curbside schedule and procedures for pickup. For curbside pickup, Library patrons are encouraged to follow public health guidance, including staying 6 feet apart from others.
Wireless Printing
We also offer wireless printing at our libraries! Submit your print job here, then follow curbside service instructions for your pickup location during their open hours. Hours and pickup instructions can be found through the links above. For Mobile Library Services, please call ahead for such pickups.