2008 Writing Contest Results

Moab

Moab means red, red rock. Moab means earth. Moab to lots of life gives birth. Earth and sky, fire and water. Trees that sprout, feet that wander. Yonder, yonder, yonder they wander. Bull creek, Mill creek, Pack creek too. Dip my feet in, feel the cool. Sun tan, Water bathe in the pool. Where natural and man-made rule. To Delicate Arch I go. I bathe in the sun, drink in fresh air, and feel the calm of two worlds meeting as one. Tearing me apart, making something new, feel the air. It is cool. I’m by the Colorado. Tamarisk tickling, wind whirling. This feels like home to me. See the sunset, hear the coyotes. They're howling for something more than what they have. If only they knew how fortunate they are. Their lives any other pup would give, to live in these beautiful hills. Run home. Feel the wind on my face. Zoom by passersby. It’s late. Go to sleep. Get up. Go to school, where math and grammar rule. Write and read, and learn and yearn. For more knowledge to absorb me like a sponge. Play. Even if only for some of the day. Give. The only reason I learn to live. Power is knowledge, and knowledge is power. Freedom isn't locked up in a tower. Free to roam, free to live. My Moab, freedom gives. Back to the earth, face to the sky. Giving in to new. Let old habits die. Oh, how I wish I could fly. Moab must look so indescribable from above. It's my home. My home, I love. I want to fly like a sparrow, fly like a dove. I would die to see it from above. Moab is a bridge between two worlds, Moab is a peace treaty. Moab's for every boy and girl, every race around the world. Moab's not prejudice. These walls are innocent, yet hold too many secrets. The sky is safe, protecting from danger. The ground is pushing secrets out and in. Forgiving and forgetting. There are openings at each end, freedom letting. A world inside another, an island in the ground. Keeping itself secret, but wanting to be found. Peaceful and safe. Beautiful and warm. Full of history and full of charm. It’s happy, no matter the weather. It lets friends stick together. A playful, unique and awesome community it stands. Large and very grand. Proud, but not boasting. Peaceful, yet busy. You can always find a helping hand. Green, not polluting. Envied, but not snooty. Moab is revered. As I look out in awe on the hills, I think, ”Who on earth would blink and miss a minute of this wonderful place? Who? Why? Why would they question the grandeur of the living marvel of this place? For surely to blink now would be a disgrace." Like a shoebox painted red, with lots of living things, who would even, dare try to slip from under its wings? As I look upon the town, the sun starts to set. I relax and watch the orange, red and lavender sky. The gold sun sinks lower, and lower. As I lay on the hills and breathe the sweet air, life just feels a little more fair. I realize how much Moab means to me. Live like you mean it, love like there's no hate. Argue instead of fight, but before that, debate. Live by a standard that you can relate, and find what Moab means to you.

Written by Aubre A. Cox on September 29th, 2008 (Moab Charter School)