2000 James McIntyre Poetry Contest Winners

Youth
JK & K
Best poem:

I Love You Daddy
By Holly Brunklaus

I Love you Daddy
I Love you Hannah
I Love you Keenan
I Love you Mommy
I Love my family

Grades 1-3
Rhyming Poem
First:

Bees are yellow...
By Joshua Quinn

Bees are yellow and bees are black
And bees have stingers too.
Bees can fly up in the sky
And bees make honey too.

Grades 1-3
Rhyming Poem
Second:

My Town
By Arnold Jung

Our town is very cool.
I go swimming in Community Centre's pool
There are children that work and play.
All the children yell hurray.
I go to McDonald's to eat.
To have a happy meal treat.

Grades 1-3
Rhyming Poem
Third:

I'm a Little Ballerina
By Stephanie Mutton

I'm a little ballerina
I'm a little ballerina always wearing pink
I dance in the kitchen with my little pink pig
We dance in the kitchen
We dance in the hall
We dance in my room pink and all

Grades 1-3
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Ingersoll
By Julie Ann Milling

Ingersoll is a special place,
Where everyone has a smile on their face.
We like going to the library for books,
I like McDonald's Happy meals when no one cooks.
Swimming is fun at the complex cool,
I work hard learning at Westfield school.

Grades 1-3
Free Verse
First:

My Town
By Dylan Hayward

Ingersoll is a place for me
because there is air to breath,
water to drink
and there's food to eat.
Ingersoll is a peaceful place to be.

Grades 1-3
Free Verse
Second:

My Town of Ingersoll
By Christine Swartz

I love Ingersoll.
There's lots of beautiful birds and butterflies.
I like going to the Lion's Park.
The Parks are very peaceful.
I like Westfield Public School.
After school my friends and I go to the Lion's Park
sometimes.

Grades 1-3
Free Verse
Third:

The Sun
By Emily Bedggood

The Sun The Sun
it shines so bright
but when it is evening
it goes down
and up comes The Moon
and says "now I am
awake and the children are
all asleep in bed"

Grades 1-3
Free Verse
Honourable Mention:

Ingersoll
By Ashley Eyndhoven

Ingersoll is nice!
The parks are peaceful.
I go skating on Sunday.
I have lots of friends that live in Ingersoll.
If I could pick a place to live
I would pick Ingersoll
because to me Ingersoll
is my home.

Grades 4-6
Rhyming Poem
First:

Starry Night
By Felicity Justrabo

The sun is gone,
Night draws near.
The fireflies arrive, The stars appear.

I count the stars,
full of glowing light.
they fill the night sky
Oh, Starry Night!

Grades 4-6
Rhyming Poem
Second:

Water
By Jennie Lynn Mitchell

Water's here, water's there, water is everywhere.
I can often hear it running thru the town, or in a seashell that I found.
I'd like to play in it all day, even if I have to pay.
Water's here, water's there, water is everywhere.

Grades 4-6
Rhyming Poem
Third:

That Poor Little Clown
By Jonathon Kyle

I saw a clown
He fell right down
I looked round
I found him lying down
Making a sound from falling down
That poor little clown.
He fell a sleep all safe and sound
That good little clown

Grades 4-6
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Poetry - Yuck
By Ben Quinn

I had to write a poem
I really didn't like to do it
I'd rather be in the bush roaming
And playing with my friends a bit

Poems are really, really boring
They stink like a pig
I'd put them on a birds wing
Then I'd do a jig

Grades 4-6
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

The Frog
By Stefany Parker

Look at the frog on the log
Sitting like a lump on the log.
He spotted a dog and
hopped through the bog -
He didn't get caught by the dog.

Grades 4-6
Free Verse
First:

Eternal Love
By Jennie Lynn Mitchell

With big eyes as blue as the azure sky.
With tender lips that once kissed her father good-night, and cheeks as red and
pretty as a rose.
With hair as golden and beautiful as the sun.
With skin as pale and fragile as crystal.
She once roamed the riverbank with her only love.
Now she lay alone on the rivebank as the victim of death.
Now in a better happier place with beautiful glowing skin
if the sun were her heart and never stopped giving.
She lives and loves everyone. She is the fairy princess.

Grades 7-8
Haiku
First:

Milk
By Sarah Streutker

I love milk
Do you?
It's in cheese and yogurt to!
I like milk!
Do you?

Grades 7-8
Limerick
First:

Ingersoll Milk
By Denise Bentum

There once was a bucket of milk from a cow
And all who saw is just had to say WOW.
For the milk in the bucket was as white as snow
And soon all of Ingersoll came to know.
So come to Ingersoll and get snow white milk now!

Grades 7-8
Limerick
Second:

Cheese, Sneeze, Please
By Melissa Aukema

There once was a man who made cheese.
Then he gave a mighty sneeze
His cheese was green
Green as a bean
Then his daughter said "May I have some cheese please?"

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
First:

Ingersoll 2000- Trains
By Tyler Totten

Trains, Trains, I hear them all day,
700 went by in the month of May,
These things go by in sun or rain,
Ingersoll is a town for the train,

Cars, planes and automobiles,
Trains travel by on their noisy wheels,
Trains go to Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal,
But, they go to Ingersoll most of all,

The trains go by all the time,
Their colours are red, grey, blue and lime,
They go by in summer, fall, winter and spring,
And they have a noisy ding-a-ling,

Ingersoll has trees, grass and flowers,
But, most of all trains that go by for hours,
Trains have their noisy way,
And we hear them everyday,

Ingersoll, Ingersoll this town is great,
But, trains run through it early and late,
The trains run through our lovely home,
But without them there would be no poem.

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
Second:

Thanksgiving
By Paterson Hodgson

Thanksgiving is a time to share
A time to laugh
A time to care.

Hallowe'en is a time scare
A time to play
A time for silly things to wear.

Then comes Christmas, full of joy
When you give presents
Like games and toys.

Now it's New Year's, time to celebrate
Time to have fun
But when it's done, that the part that we hate!

Valentine's Day is finally here
Time to love
And say, "Be my honey, dear."

St. Patrick's Day is next in line
A time to wear green
And drink lots of wine.

Easter's here! It's time to eat
Chocolate eggs and lots of sweets!

Canada Day, the best of all
For our fellow Canucks
We'll have a ball!

These are all times of celebration
To have lots of fun
To run around under the sun.

To do silly things
And go silly places
To shout silly sayings
And to make silly faces.

Now my poem about
Happy times comes to its end
I say have some fun to all of my friends.

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
Third:

The Children
By Miriah Hamilton

The children are hungry and want something to eat,
They can barely stand on their own little feet.
The children are starving and can't help but cry
Some of them will live but most of them will die;
The children are famished but have not food
They can't just eat when they are in the mood;
The children are hungry but food can't be supplied
Sometime's their feeling of emptiness is denied;
The children are starving but what can they do
To get away and start their life a new

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Thomas Ingersoll
By Elizabeth de Groot

There once was a man named Thomas Ingersoll
He was sort of tall
He had a beard
Some people thought he was weird
He named Ingersoll, a city that was small

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Ingersoll 2000
By Michelle van Boxtel

Wear a smile, you will see
Just outside your window seat
A little town, that we call home
Where a lot of corn and vegetables are grown
A little town, that we live in
In between Woodstock and London
We welcome everyone, come one, come all
To the beautiful town, our very own, Ingersoll
Just see, with me,
How beautiful Ingersoll can really be!

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Ingersoll 2000 Cheese
By Sarah Gillies

Cheese, oh beautiful cheese
it's so hard to believe,
that you made Ingersoll famous.
You were so big, you were so high,
you were so heavy and that's probably why,
you made Ingersoll famous.
The milk, the butter that was put into you
that's probably why you grew and grew
and made Ingersoll famous.
It doesn't matter the colour; orange, white,
cottage, cheddar, it doesn't matter the type,
You could slice it, you can dice it,
you could even cut it,
it's still cheese that made Ingersoll famous

Grades 7-8
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Glimpses of Heaven
By Mallory Hunter

Glimpses of Heaven,
Up there in the sky,
Moving across it,
They float gently by,
When they are light,
Fluffy and white,
They are quite pretty,
A beautiful sight.
When they are like this,
We know things are well
It means God is happy,
And Jesus as well.
But when they are dark,
Dismal and sad,
We know the almighty
Is not quite so glad.
Perhaps a spider
Was killed the day before.
Whatever it was,
Better stuff is in store.
The white clouds come back,
All bright and gay.
And though it's not like this,
All of the days,
We know God is watching,
He loves us always.

Grades 7-8
Free Verse
First:

North Star
By Marleen Kramer

North Star
Remember
When you
felt
you were only
A regular,
Just a
Usual
Star
Like all your
Kind.
But when some
People-
The human
Slaves
Looked up
To only
You;
Trusted your
Bright
Light
To help them
Find freedom
And believed
You would
Always
Be there.
How
Did you
Feel
Then?

Grades 7-8
Free Verse
Second:

Change
By Nikki MacDonald

Friends forever
Together till the end
We did everything together
You were my sister

When I was sad, you were by my side
When I was scared, you felt my fear
You were my best support
If I needed you, you were there

You were my greatest friend
You always knew what to say
You made everything seem better
As long as we had each other
Everything would be OK

But somewhere along the line
We slowly came apart
I was here and you were there
It tore a hole in my heart

Suddenly we were miles apart
Two different people with nothing the same
It was though we hadn't been friends
Although deep in our hearts
We still love each other

You made new friends
Luckily, so had I
But that didn't change the hurt
It still makes me cry

As we grow older things must change
But they don't always have to end
Even though it is different now
You will always be my sister

Grades 7-8
Free Verse
Third:

Y2K is Here
By Trevor Burleigh

Y2K is here
and I'm a new man,
collecting cards,
reading comics,
buying video games,
skateboarding,
McDonald's or P.B.'s Fries
for lunch and
swimming and working out
at the community centre.
so many things to do
in Ingersoll, It's the place
to be, I love Ingersoll,
so come hang out with
me.

Grades 7-8
Free Verse
Honourable Mention:

Ingersoll 2000
By Alisha Riley

My mind seems like a story book,
I remember so much!
If this was a story, it would be pages long
In Ingersoll's past there are things
that have put us on the map.

Long ago there was a Cheese factory,
which is now just history,
but it was good cheese, so I was told.
I've never tried it but my parents liked it.

Ingersoll gives a lot of awards out,
My grandfather go one or two in his
lifetime.
But I was too little to remember.

I haven't been here long, only about 13 years,
but all the many things that have happened
in that time, are amazing.
The Victoria Community Centre was built,
a plaza on Thames Street as well.
We go a new Library and a pizza pizza
restaurant too.

In the middle of town
We have a River we call the
Thames River.
Lately it been high because of all
the rain

The sport teams are great,
we have painting or acting classes,
which do you prefer?

This town is great!
but don't take it from me,
come see for yourself.
Ask anyone in town and they would probably
tell you how great it is to live here.

Grades 9-12
Best Poem

October Dream
By Ken Ferguson

While the clouds move and the sun awakens
Frost blankets the grass and weeds,
like upside down icicles
the radiance and warmth beckon
"Wake from your frozen chrysalises"
As if the earth understands
It awakens with life
The thick yellow clouds of duty pollen fall from the silo
The once proud golden forests -
Now, but mere stubble
The alphabet speeds past in the sky,
I glimpse a white behind
This trail is so full of life!
Yet with all this activity there is an air of apprehension,
As if a big crisis is on the way
Chattering and squeaking, the squirrels scrap for food
Like buyers at an auction
Falling leaves clutter the air and land at my feet,
Their suicide promising new life
The wind blows up a gust of whirling leaves
Jack Frost starts biting my nose and I become a dragon puffing out steam
And so I return to my house and get back in touch with the real world.

Cheese Poet Laureate's Award
Best cheese poem/dairy ode

(one award covering all youth age groups)

Cheeseking
By Marleen Kramer

Cheeseking
Remember
One night
After mommy
Read me a
Story
About you,
I looked out
From my
Window
Waiting
To catch a
Glimpse
Of your
Cheese.
And then
There
You
Were
The Great and
Almighty
Cheeseking!
Daddy, daddy
Come and
Look
At the
Cheeseking,
No honey
That's the
MOON.

Best Poem about Ingersoll

Ingersoll's a Good Town
By Hannah Brunklaus

Ingersoll's a good town
and I like it a lot
I never want it to burn down
In my heart it is the top

Adult
Rhyming Poem
First:

It's a Sneeze
By Catherine E. Swift

At first there's a wheeze,
Your sinuses squeeze,
Then a tickling tease,
"God bless!" if you please.
It's a sneeze!

Your lungs start to swell,
You don't feel so well,
You want to expel,
The spraying can tell.
It's a sneeze!

Head tilts to the sky,
There's a squint in your eye,
With a huff and a sigh,
"Achoo!" you will cry.
It's a sneeze!

And over the year,
Nose holding one fears,
Will blow out your ears,
And all that one hears.
It's a sneeze!

Some sneezes you know,
Start slowly and grow,
Or come three in a row,
Some explode as they go.
It's a sneeze!

Dust, pollens and weed,
Cold viruses heed,
And pepper will feed,
More Kleenex we'll need.
It's a sneeze!

Yes, SNEEZING will show,
That bad things just flow,
From our bodies and so,
In one powerful blow,
It's a sneeze!

A-A-A-A---CHOO!

Adult
Rhyming Poem
Second:

Letting Go
By Mary Hunt Tuttle

I see, against a darkening sky,
A flock of geese, as they fly by
... and one alone, perhaps like me,
But flying on courageously.
And I will too.
From you I know,
Of faith, and love,
... and letting go.

Adult
Rhyming Poem
Third:

"The Dairy Man's Review
by Ruthanne Foster

FARM WIFE REPORTS:
"A FINE HOWDY-DO!"

I have the greatest husband...
Don't misconstrue - in fact it's true;
If only he'd stop reading that
Darn old "Dairyman's Review."
He keeps in touch with the farm reports...
And how high the quota's gone;
But the only herd that he now tends
Are out standing on the lawn!

When we retired and moved into town...
I knew just what he would do;
He'd just get to sit and read
His dear old "Dairyman's Review"
How could I ever forget that day?
He named our daughter "Daisy"
The cats, he named "Buttercup" and "Whey";
The dog - we just call "Lazy"!

Now he reads from the "Home Page"...
Recipes for emu, and Cattleman's Stew;
And advice to make my tasks so light
With hints from the "Dairyman's Review."
Our son he nicknamed "Echo"...
After a sire he'd owned long ago;
The name just seemed to fit all right,
Come chore time, he was a "no show"!

Now hubby has a cow collection...
And pursues what he can accrue;
Like the cow salt and pepper shakers
From the ad in the "Dairyman's Review."
Then there's the T shirts, pants and boxers...
With cow spots and "udder" delights;
And the black and white pajamas,
That he wears to bed at night.

He sits up late, reading to me...
On paddling canoes, and wall paper glue;
And how to make creamy rice pudding,
From the "Dairyman's Review."
He thought that mattress in our room...
Should be filled with sweet dry clover;
He gives a little click of his tongue,
"Come on, old, girl, move over!"

He reads the "Personal Page" with zest...
And wrote to Lou in Kalamazoo;
Who'd advertised for a Pen Pal,
In the "Dairyman's Review."
Seems Lou's music teacher told him...
"Those hands were meant to plough";
To give up on the piano lessons,
And instead, "Go milk a cow!"

In our garden out back we sowed
Seeds of Feverfew and Rue;
On the advice of "The Gardening Guy",
In back of the "Dairyman's Review."
Hubby buys me cans of "Bag Balm"...
And tins of "Farmer's Friend";
A cream they called "Udderly S'mooth"
I'm overjoyed! Or so I pretend!

'Cause in fact his heart's still on the farm...
And sky-blue is still his favourite hue;
So I'll let his keep his dreams alive,
And renew his dear old "Dairyman's Review."
PS I offered to subscribe to Martha Stewart...
In lieu of the "Dairyman's Review";
He said "Those kinds of magazines,
Were meant for people with too little to do!"

Adult
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Cheese Trivia
By Joanna Bedggood

cheddar, mozarella
isn't it sweet?
ounce per ounce
twice the protein of meat

gouda, camembert
I'll take come, please
Eleven pounds of milk
Make one pound of cheese

brie, blue, edam
if you partake each day
you will consume
lots of vitamin A

asiago, gorgonzola
a reason for cheers
it's been around
more than 4000 years

swiss, oka, marble
isn't it nifty?
The kinds in Canada
Exceed one-fifty

Adult
Rhyming Poem
Honourable Mention:

Bereaved Families
By Stella Round

The pain is something we can share
It never goes away,
I'm just so glad that you were there
You really made my day.
I realize it's been awhile,
Since I have felt this good
I know that it's okay to smile
I know you understood
I know that I will never be
The way I was before
I thank you all for giving me
what I was hoping for
I'm not the same but now there's peace
I thought I'd never find
I'm feeling joy, I felt release
You've all been more than kind.
And all our kids were telling me
That I should wear a smile
Because of them I finally see
That life is still worth while
I guess I felt like giving up my joys have been so few
Our children must have filled my cup
And it was shared with you
And Christmas Day will soon be here
There's so much I must do
For Shawn we'll have a "Happy New Year"
and Peace I'll share with you.

Adult
Haiku
First:

Happy Children Play
By Lorene Pearson

Happy children play.
Passing years of time - roll by
Gift of life - precious

Adult
Haiku
Second:

For Baby Jeffrey
By Janice McDonald

Life's cycle goes on:
Echoes of his father's eyes
In new babe's sweet face.

Adult
Free Verse
First:

Alleluia By Julia Penistan

	Dance with Joy, my friend,
	Exuberance flying from every hop,
		Every lift, every dip;
	And flaunt your delight in sculpting
	This Holy Temple, this succoth of Spirit,
		This Sacrament blessed through the Divinity of Air;

	Tap larger chakras,
	Diffuse a geophysical arrhythmia
		Through pointed touch and earthly acupuncture,
	Describe with hands and head
	Such spinning spheres and motes enhanced into
		Sparks of lightning which brighten our breath.

	Heart - spread doors of Tabernacle
	Burst this lofty, fleshly Sanctuary,
		Ripple on higher, greener rays,
	And we may clearly chance,
	With veil-dropping eyes and open arms,
		Illumined, half-tangible Angels at dance.

Adult
Free Verse
Second:

I Cannot
By Don French

If you asked me to show you how much I love you,
I would have to stand still

If you asked me to write the words to show how I loved you
My pen would not move

If you asked me to tell you how much I love you
I would say nothing;

I love you enough to make the world stand still and take notice
There are no words to write to describe my love for you
And my mouth cannot express the meanings that are only in my heart

Adult
Free Verse
Third:

A Soldier Thinks
By Blanche Budd

A soldier thinks the enemy is evil.
He believes they are at war
to destroy democracy
to steal freedom
to gain power and strength.

And then when a soldier faces another,
the enemy becomes someone's son
someone's brother
someone's husband
someone's father.

And in that split second of hesitation,
this person, this soldier
this enemy
does not hesitate.

Cheese Poet Laureate's Award:
Best Dairy Ode

A Homage to Fromage
By Catherine E. Swift

The history of baking,
Shows recipes taking,
The pleasures of making,
Exciting dishes with cheese!

Now, no one will say,
Who discovered the whey,
And allowed the curds to stay,
Making tasty, delectable cheese.

When rendered one finds,
Cheese of all kinds,
Some waxy with rinds,
Like wonderful, red Gouda cheese.

The holy, the round,
Most weighed by the pound,
In dairy aisles found,
A remarkable selection of cheese.

Mozarella or Cheddar,
Havarti or feta,
Parmesans better,
When grated and sprinkled as cheese.

With garlic or spice,
Fruit flavored is nice,
Or creamed over rice,
It's saucy, savory cheese.

Some mild and some old,
Around the world sold,
Blue ripened with mold,
Many shapes and colors of cheese.

It's time if you please,
Get down on your knees,
Pay homage to fromage,
That's glorious, glorious cheese!

Best Poem about Ingersoll
(past or present)

I Recall
By Lois Bradfield

In days gone by in Ingersoll
A country fair was held, each fall.
Kids today would call it cool,
'Cause we got the day away from school.
But wait - an essay you must write
And that would take most of the night.
If story writing was not your thing
In a choral contest you could sing.
4-H-ers could show their calf,
its antics were always worth a laugh.
Home made quilts were on display -
Expertise of by-gone day.
Mom's home knitting would take a prize:
It was perfect in the Judges' eyes.
Dad's big pumpkin was the best,
Now the ribbon is on his chest.
Auntie Annie baked a pie
That put a gleam in the taster's eye.
Your swift, long legs would set the pace
As you crossed the tape in a sprinters race.
The Ayrshire show known far and wide
Made Grandpa's light up with pride
As his Selwood Sally, the milker's dream
Filled up that pail with milk and cream.
When October comes, I often yearn
For those good old fair days to return.

JC Herbert Award
for a rhyming poem about rural or small town life

Back to the Land
By Juanita DeRoo

I will leave the city life behind
And go back to the land,
For it was on a simple farm
My hopes and dreams began.

I used to sit up in the mow
And dream of flying planes,
Soaring over barn roofs
And golden fields of grain.

I used to watch the cattle
Chewing quietly in the shade,
And played with kittens on the straw
In fresh stalls, newly made.

I often walked down country roads
And met old neighbours dear,
And chatted with them at the gate
Their friendly voices hear.

I want to feel the soil again
And smell the new mown hay,
I want to hear the rooster
Crow at break of day.

To lay down in a furrow
In Mother Earth's sweet arms,
And dream untroubled happy dreams
Of life out on the farm.

So I will take you back with me,
Back to the land,
Far away from city lights
To where my life began.

Judge's discretion:
For a poem worthy of an award for any other reason

Green Things in my Fridge
By Gertrude Sparkes

	My mom asked dad and I to clean out the fridge
	While she went with friends to play some bridge.
	We got already to do a super clean,
	But when we opened the door
	All was saw was green!
	Green, Green, Green!
	All we saw was Green!
	Green things in our fridge.
		Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
	There's Green things in our fridge.

	There's Green on the bread.
	There's Green on the cake.
	There's Green on the butter
	And the cookies mom baked.
	There's Green on the macaroni.
	There's Green on the cheese.
		Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
	I think I'm going to sneeze!
		Agh..... Agh..... Agh!
	Dad, Let's wait for mom!