Fifth-grade girl from Eagle wins the Beaver Creek poetry contest

Rowan Trietley is this year’s winner of the Beaver Creek poetry contest. Among other honors, Trietley got to read her poem at Friday’s Beaver Creek Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

These are the top three poems.

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First place

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Gardens for the World

Rowan Trietley, Renaissance Outward Bound School, 5th grade, Castle Rock and Eagle, Colorado

I wish everyone had a garden

So as to be comforted and happy

To plant the seeds of hope

And watch knowledge grow

Like a blooming flower

To confide in secrets

Never to be whispered again

I wish everyone had a garden

To find contented peace and love

Between the splashes of color

And to learn to love one another

The garden would be yours to decorate

With your mind and personality

Like a Christmas tree adorned with silver trimmings

Look upon, and the garden would lift your spirits

Like the wind lifts seeds

The garden would fit your very needs

Food for the hungry

Inspiration for the artists

Love and kindness for the wilted

Fun for the playful

My wish for the world is that everyone had a garden.

Second place

Wishes For The World

Mary J. Pflaum, Eisenhower Elementary School, 5th grade, Kansas City, Kansas and Beaver Creek Colo.

My wish, to start, is for world peace,

With no arguments to be heard.

My wish is for the wars to cease,

And for the sicknesses to be cured.

I also wish for some food to be

Distributed to those in need.

I wish for those who have no home

To find warmth and shelter to call their own.

I wish that soldiers far away

Could be with family on Christmas Day.

And even though they’re brave and strong,

Would not have to be gone so long.

And yet another wish of mine

is for all children to grow up fine.

To go to school, and learn and grow

And know the things I’m blessed to know.

To grow up to be what the y want to be,

And see the places they want to see.

I know that I have wished a lot,

But please don’t think I’m needy.

For none of these wishes are made for me

Nor are they selfish or greedy.

I only want my wishes

To be heard and turned into actions.

Maybe my hopes could change the world

Even the tiniest fraction.

Third place

My Wish For A Better World

Cami Johnson, Vail Mountain School, 5th grade, Wolcott, Colo.

When snowflakes fall from high above and the wind blows sharp and cold,

Cheer should be ringing loud for all to hear.

And when the moon shines off the snow at night, the trees should glow with happy light.

When happiness rings throughout the world,

The holiday season starts to turn from a cold, dark, gloomy time of year to a glowing, perfect, happy season.

Only someone with very bad reason

Could ever be sad during holiday season.

So when snowflakes fall from high above, and the wind blows sharp and cold,

Turn on a smile, laugh a lot,

The world will thank you.

I promise. Just watch.