This April, Callaway youth are invited to write poetry on the theme "America the Beautiful" for National Poetry Month.
"We want kids to write a poem that celebrates the natural beauty of the USA," Jerilyn Hahn, the children's librarian at Fulton's Daniel Boone Regional Library, said. "That can include themes of summer time, travel and road trips."
All poems will be entered into a contest which begins April 1 and is open to any Callaway County kid ages 5-18, Hahn said.
"We have three age groups, so that young kids are not competing against the older kids," she said. "The age groups are 5-8, 9-12 and 13-18."
After the contest closes April 30, Hahn said a first, second and third places will be chosen for each group.
"The winners usually receive a gift certificate to Well Read Books, the local book store," she said. "Those will be handed out during a brief award ceremony Thursday, June 1."
Hahn said the poems do not need to be a specific length or type.
"We have had great poems that were very short, and some that didn't rhyme," she said. "Instead, kids should think about their word choice, and the way the words sound together. Do they have a rhythm? Are they specific and descriptive? They should also think about cutting unnecessary words to tighten their works up."
To enter the Daniel Boone Regional Library and Auxvasse Creative Arts Program's contest, participants should pick up an entry form from the library, Hahn said. They can also enter the contest online at www.dbrl.org after
April 1.