It's National Poetry Month and we want to introduce you to the some very talented teen writers this month.
This year's 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognized 16 high school seniors who received the program’s highest national honor, the Gold Medal Portfolio, which includes a $10,000 scholarship.
Throughout April, we showcased a poem from this year's writing portfolio winners. This week, we are celebrating the work of Adam Gowan, age 17 (Toronto, Canada).
Find out more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. And don't forget to use #GoldKey!
The Blue Bag
by Adam Gowan
The door is closed.
Its handle
Beckons me forward.
Stars cycling
Through my mind
Die.
I reach out, twist,
And enter the room.
A large blue bag
Rests on the bed.
I step forwards.
The bag falls open,
Revealing her face.
Mouth ajar,
Lips cracked,
Limbs limp
As a withered flower,
Body framed
By the unnatural blue of the bag.
She lays submerged
In the moment
Before the storm.
A wisp of hair,
Forms a halo
Around her tired head.
I bend over to kiss her,
Breathe in the
Rot,
And she is cold as stone.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers