The winners of a Youth Library poetry contest know that poetry can pay, even in this day and age. Not only did poetry help them to get out their innermost feelings, but it also won them a special certificate, hand held PlayStation Portables and iPod shuffles.

Winners and honourable mentions for three different categories were picked by the Youth Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB). TAB consists of teenagers from around the Island, and their aim is to make the Youth Library on Church Street more appealing to teenagers.

The first place winners of this year’s Youth Library TAB poetry contest were 14-year-old Bermuda High School students Adrienne Miller (girl’s and boy’s category) and Jillian Rinehimer (life of a teenager category) and Berkeley Institute student Michiko Campbell, 17, in grade S4 (hurt category).

There were also three honourable mentions in the contest. Sophie Faulkenberry, 14, from the Bermuda High School won in the life of a teenager category, Che-Lei Trott, 14, from Warwick Academy won in the boys and girls category and Riley Henderson, 13, of the Bermuda High School won in the hurt category.

The Bookworm Beat recently sat down with the three first place winners to find out more about their lives as budding poets.

“I don’t do much poetry writing,” said Michiko, “but sometimes I have to let out my feelings. I decided to just write on paper.”

Michiko’s winning poem ‘Papa’ was about the death of his grandfather and its effects on his family.

But there the line of fate was drawn

As Though I blinked and you were gone

“The whole family went through a hard time when we lost my grandfather, especially my father,” said Michiko. “That is who I wrote it for. After I wrote it I gave him my certificate, so he was thankful for that. I think my grandfather would be proud.”

Michiko’s English teacher at the Berkeley Institute is Scott Morgan.

“We are doing poetry in class now,” said Michiko. “We are reading Dylan Thomas’ ‘Fern Hill’ in class, and a couple of writers. I am just getting the hang of it now. I think it is alright.

“Our English teacher encouraged us to enter the competition. Plus he was using it as an assignment grade. And he said make it personal. He wants me to present my poem in class.”

Jillian said she has not yet picked out a favourite poet, but she enjoys reading poetry in books or literary journals.

Jillian won with her poem ‘Girls, Teenage Drama Queens’.

What do we really want? Well we want it all

Some friends, an amazing family and a best friend to call<$>

“Poetry helps me to get out my emotions,” said Jillian. “I usually tend to write more about sad things. But the poem I entered in the competition is actually a happy one.

“In the poem I was trying to get the message out: try to have fun with what you have and try to be content with what you have. Although you do have it really well, there are a lot of people who aren’t doing so well. I usually write at my desk. It overlooks the ocean, which is kind of nice.”

Adrienne won with her poem ‘Affection — Love’

We will remember those gorgeous times we spent

under the dreamy night sky. And its brightness will

remind us of those fun filled summer days.

Adrienne said she is not much of a short story writer, but she usually loves to write nature poems. She has been deeply inspired by her grandmother, Barbara Cooper.

“I write nature poems most of the time,” said Adrienne. “I use to spend time with my grandmother writing. My grandmother helps me a lot and gives me some ideas. She would also read poetry to me, so that probably inspired me to continue on with poetry. She is very proud of me for winning the award.”

Adrienne likes to write in bed or outdoors. Adrienne normally writes on a rough sheet of paper. Her grandmother got her a book to write in, but she copies her poetry into a special book that her grandmother got her. She prefers to write by hand.

“It is more with the flow,” she said. “I also like to write about things I hear about in the news, or witness. I have included some poems about how we are affecting the environment.”

Although all of our winners enjoyed poetry, none of them expressed interest in writing as a career. Michiko’s passion is cooking, and he currently works at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club as an apprentice chef.

“First my mother and my grandmother always used to pull me into the kitchen and make me watch them cook,” he said. “I really like it, and it is my passion now. I am hoping to go to the Bermuda College to get my Associate’s degree, and then go away to get a Bachelor’s degree.”

Michiko said he likes all kinds of cooking including pastry, preparing meat and cutting up fish.

“I like handling food,” he said. “I don’t know why. At school, everyone begs me to cook some chicken or something like that. I make cakes for my friends’ birthdays. We are coming up to our graduation and we are going to have a party. I am going to make barbecue chicken.”

Adrienne wants to do something in the performing arts. She is a dancer, singer and actress. “I have sung in a lot of musicals,” Adrienne said. “Just recently I was in the Bermuda High School production of ‘Pirates of Penzance’.”

In the summer she goes abroad to a special summer camp for the performing arts.

Jillian, who won an honourable mention in the 2005 Christmas short story contest, said she is interested in the sciences.

“I would like to be a doctor or failing that a lawyer,” she said. “I am interested in debate and I also do volleyball.”

The TAB poetry contest ran from March 15 to April 20. All middle and high schools were invited to encourage their students to send in poetry in several different categories.

“We received close to 50 poems that were read through several times by a panel of peers from the TAB group,” said Marla Smith, Youth Services Librarian at the Youth Library.

“The TAB panel was really amazed at some of the poetry written, especially by the guys. There were various types, free verse, diary, lyrical, etc. TAB has made the competition an annual event with the hope of having an open mike night for those who did not win to have an opportunity to have their say.”