Waking up
To the silent sound 
Of snowflakes twirling 
To the ground.
It's barely dawn
With the sun rising 
from its chambers 
beneath the mountains,
The stars unwilling to dim 
their short-lived light.
Yet the snowflakes mirror them,
Drifting to fill the valleys
In a cold, crisp carpet.
Walking out
To the half-darkness of winter,
The beauty within the ice,
The sword within the stone.
Sensing the danger in the snow,
Yet unable to pull away
From trees that seem to glow.
No one has ever been able to resist Winter.
It's the right time for wonder.
If you're going to take a plunge into mystery,
Then waking up to snowflakes
Falling outside your window
Is, perhaps, the best way to do it. 
 

The Jump
My feet crunched the snow as my thick boots led me toward the hill. It was mid-winter, a warmer day than most, and the tramping was making my forehead sweat. My friend Clementine was ahead of me, my short legs and puffy snowsuit weighing me down-and slowing me down. Finally, I reached the top of the hill. I sat down, not caring if my butt got wet or not. Mindlessly, my mittens picked up a ball of snow and packed it evenly. This was the best packing snow of the winter. It was the perfect mixture of wet and fluffy, a combination rare at least to Vermont. Judson, another friend, was thinking the same thing.

Young Writers Project proudly presents The Voice! 
 

 

Every year, Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, VT, runs the Lincoln Essay Competition for 8th graders throughout Vermont.  

First place winners receive $1000, second place $750, third place $500, and honorable mentions $250.

The deadline for submissions is Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, 2018. This year’s topic:

This year's essay topic:
Describe a current or recent event in which the actions of the participant(s) may be viewed as patriotic by some and as unpatriotic by others.  Discuss the differing points of view.  What is your position and why?

Complete application packets (including guidelines and tips) can be downloaded: http://www.hildene.org/schools.html.

Contact: Stephanie at [email protected]