2007 IATE Poetry and Prose Contest
Poems of Special Merit
Nick Neri
Adlai E. Stevenson High School , Grade 11
Lincolnshire , Illinois
Teacher, Elizabeth Maxwell-Carlson
Marissa Ristich
Marissa Ristich is a girl of wonders.
She masters
building blocks and
would soon devour
Algebra 2 problems.
A straight A student.
Her glowing laugh took
me far into space
where
no one
could find me.
Plus
she could smear shaving cream
over a table
better than any other tot in the class.
She left her hair
uncombed and frizzy
until
she was forced to make it wavy and highlighted.
Her short faded jeans
always
matched her Keds shoes but
never complemented her shirt
until
she was forced to dress in
skin tight jeans
high heels and a
low cut shirt
The cheerios
she ate
always
found their way to the floor and
not her mouth.
Until
she was taught to have manners and
not to make messes.
She drank lemonade as if it were
the water in a
camel’s humps.
Marissa Ristich
would
love
to turn back time.