Below is the winner of our Elementary Poetry Write-Ahead Contest, Recess Time by Sarah Henderson. The competition prompt asked students to consider how “slides, swings, and monkey bars, literary devices are a writer’s playground. Write a poem about an actual playground using as many literary devices as you can.”

Recess Time
by Sarah Henderson

When the bell beckons for kids
to come outside, Kids run for
the monkey bars
and the spiral slide. 

Kids run around blowing off
their steam, Kids start a
kickball game and they start
picking the team. 

Kids play on the jungle gym
round and round they go,
Kids have fun they even
say so. 

Kids are excited to
escape from school,
When it’s recess time
they make their own rule. 

Recess is the best
part of the day. Kids
enjoy it they go their
own way. 

The field is full, so is
the jungle gym, Balls
are bouncing off the
basketball rim. 

People seek
some people hide,
Darn, it’s time to
come inside!

Sarah Henderson is a 5th Grader at Hammond Elementary. She attended I.C.E. Writers North Tampa camp this past summer. On the day of 2019 TBAWP Youth Writers Conference, she was also the runner-up in the Write-On Poetry competition.