POETRY- 1st Place

My Natural Florida
by Leah Valdes

Yesterday ‘round midday, I looked outside and made a wish
only witnessing industrialization I yearned for the refreshing water
of our beaches. The heat of the sand stinging my toes and once again
being where I belong… together as one with the land of Mother Nature.
I suckled the milk of the coconut breasts so pure
awaiting the adventures of tomorrow once the Sun shines his light.

Northern Florida’s springs are most treasurable, the glacial water
turning my lips different shades of purple, but I frog leap in again and again-
the logs mimicking the appearance of alligators in this natural
scenery. My daddy collecting in bottles the springs purity
and the waves by my sisters horse-playing sounds like loud swishes.

The Sun beats down his authority of heat, I try to regain
energy under the hammocks and mentally take pictures of this nature
based society. The Everglades ranging from large amounts of pure
life where biodiversity is the key to survival; the light
at the end of the tunnel. The stars in the sky so clear at night that a wish
has to be made while relaxing in the Paradise of Living Water. 

To scuba dive off the boat into this realm where nature
knows no evil, only the boundaries of survival of the fittest is pure
at heart. Diving deeper alongside the continental shelf and the illumination of light
bouncing off the coral- I decided from early on to be a marine biologist, this was my wish
to swim with the sharks, seek underwater caves- my office is the water!
A fairytale of beauty which I’m determined to gain…

Around spring, the rain trickles down in droplets so pure,
witnessing all the difference in colors in the overpowering sunlight.
- - It’s on these rainy days where I look outside and make wonders of my wish…
the hundreds of raindrops on my window creating down below puddles of water,
thunderstorms blasting, giving me mental power to gain
and look beyond… to the trees and bushes that complete this portrait of nature.

Water is my home, the center of my fantasized delight,
where a painting of it means a thousand words but a girl’s wish
means her future… the aspect of rebirth, the symbols that is water.
To be born in water then be surrounded by it once again
and to share hope with the ill- natured
share my love about the different bodies of water that purify
my way of life… my secret demise, my speck of light.

Wishes are my only source of light
watering the childish roots within me that are so pure…
Again I daydream about the beauty of Florida’s aquatic nature!

POETRY - 2nd Place

Unknown Boundaries
by Alberto Concepcion

History books describe Florida as a beauty within a goddess,
A world unforeseen to others,
And if described would be thought of as a fairy tale.
Beauty flowed through the pines and ran down the riverside,
Through the lungs of every Indian tribe,
But destroyed when the Spaniards came a shore with to much pride,
Most Indians put there heads down and cried,
Not because they were being stripped of everything they had,
But because they knew that the salvage rape of their land had begun.
Till this day our state still suffers,
With protected environmental boundaries shrinking,
And county lines drawn out without thinking.
Our economic greed for a greater American dream,
Blinds us from what our environment needs.
The Spaniards have taken the first step,
But we as Americans will be known in future history books as taking the big misstep.
The Everglades ran from Naples to West Palm Beach,
Now our coral reefs bleach,
And all I can say is if we don’t do something now,
Florida’s environmental future seems bleak.
In this country green trees are exchanged for green dollar signs,
Where politicians where created by god with futuristic eyes, but can’t see because their
heads are made out of concrete, new brain cells are created with the message of having
to become elite, and to them it’s how can they widen our pavement street.
So let me thank you now for our decreasing bees, fleas, and even seas, so you say what
do a couple of insects mean to me, well let me tell you they make the oxygen for you to
breathe.
So let’s get to know our boundaries,
And let’s stop forcing our monetary greed onto the environment which means no harm to
us because it was placed by god for us to admire and see.

POETRY - 3rd Place

The Colors of Florida
by Jamiela Kersellius

What comes to my mind when I envision Florida?

Beautiful blue and golden days. Warm pink breeze blowing across my face. Blue sparkles that blind me in the sky. White full clouds bursting at every seem with sun light. The clean smell of a break though showers soon to come. Green, yellow, red, orange, and blue birds fly by me in the Floridian sky make me think of summers away in the Carribean. Every sense is stimulated daily in my Florida life. But it is the warm pink breeze blowing across my face that has me mesmerized. 

Warm white sand beneath  my feet. Gray water caps tickle my toes. Warm golden sun on my face. Royal blue waters in my hair. White pelicans circling in the air. A sea of colorful people and cultures. A melting pot of everywhere. An endless summer, an array of distinctive sounds of music.

The sky is dark, dull, and grey, three things that make me what to run away, the Hurricanes are coming. Here comes the black wind. No more golden sky. These months are so intense brown wood flying by. Black dirt replaces the wonderful pink breeze that ran across my face. The morning brings another day still raining but the black wind has almost gone. The season is over. Thank the Lord we are still here to pray another day.

The golden sky is above me again. The green iguanas hopping and sticking their tongues about. The tall palm tree once again blowing in that pink breeze makes me fell warm lets me know I am home. Now back in my front yard not worried about a thing. Until that hurricane season comes back again. Seeping on my blue lemonade drink, golden blue sky above my head that wonderful mesmerizing pink breeze blowing in my face.

Some of the colors of my Florida…

POETRY - Honorable Mention

The Everglades
by Esmeralda Pujadas

As you look about
The grass is what you’ll see
But just below the view is water at your feet
Every blade of grass keeps secrets from the heat
Yet as it sways and bends the motion keeps it’s beat

When the sun goes down the music fills the air
The mating call of frogs, the crickets near and far
The movement of the gator breaks the rivers flow
The buzzing sound you want to hear or food you just become

To the endless water cycle this sight does play it’s part
To flow and rage, to fill and dry the cycle always fed
The rain will pour, the drought will come, to start again when it’s all done
In sun or shade the water plays as life it starts again

As fire clears the sight of life, the cycle starts again
The grass restarts on past respites and grass again she’ll be
For to this end the flames do lend a helping hand time and again
When daylight comes so does the heat and quiet regions supreme

And so you see that place so dear and ever close to me
But watch real close or you will miss the story she repeats
She hides so much in plain view the master of disguise
Watch her change look real close no day is quite the same

The Everglades does call to you to visit and be charmed
There’s more than insects, gator, and fish to fill a day with sights
The silence serenades the soul while breezes cool the air
She’ll lure you in and let you win and bring you back for more.

ESSAY  - 2nd Place

How to Make Any Day Unforgettable One in South Florida
by Enmanuel Morales

I must make claim of having lived a perfect day. It wasn’t any special day in particular, but rather any day in particular made perfect by a series of well-planned events and activities. It happened in October of 2005, and it consisted of experiencing the entire life cycle of the sun in a day. In other words, I witnessed a sunrise and a sunset, from and into the ocean, on the same day.

At first it may sound simple, but I assure you it is not. It requires waking up before dawn and making a cross-state road trip. You must also consider the fact that between sunrise and sunset there is a twelve-hour gap (which you can fill in any way you please) so it is not something that can be rushed into the equivalent of a movie. And finally, good company. This last one makes the experience worthwhile and makes those twelve hours feel like only two.

There are certain prerequisites one must meet before continuing, as this endeavor is not available for just anyone. There is no discrimination in race, age, gender or social status, mind you, but there are minimal requirements that must be cleared in order to succeed; nothing out of reach nor to demanding that cannot be achieved, for example: you must have a car or access to one (preferably a hybrid and, if possible, a convertible. A hybrid is an excellent choice since it does not contribute to the already troubling levels of toxic carbon dioxide emissions. In these times no effort is too great to lower fossil fuel contamination. But don’t worry; your old station wagon will do!)  You must also live (or be in) the South Florida area. Finally, you must have an open mind and heart because you are going to take in a lot more than you can imagine.

So the journey begins. I live in Miami so this is where we’ll start. It’s only natural since the sun rises from the east and not from the west. I suggest you jump-start the day with Cuban coffee! If you are Cuban or are of Cuban descent, you can prepare it yourself. If not, any 24-hour diner in Miami or Miami Beach will do. Trust me, one cup of this Joe will keep you running even after the sun goes down.

You must head over to the beach, which is fairly easy in South Florida. A sandy coastline that spans hundreds of miles of beaches surrounds us and provides an infinite range of ambiences and sceneries. Perhaps the luxurious coastal clubs of the Palm Beaches or the ever so chic South Beach on Miami Beach could serve as a starting point, or the more natural park beaches of Key Biscayne with their open spaces and proximity to wildlife. There are many options to start the day off, each suited for the most specific taste.

South Florida sunrises are majestic, so make sure to bring along your camera because you are certainly in for a treat. Watching the sun rise up from the water is like witnessing a birth take place. Your soul is progressively invaded by a feeling of humility, an awkward feeling rarely experienced. The mix of fellow human beings contemplating the same phenomena, and the twilight and freshness of the morning is enough to make you feel displaced in time and space. The shafts of light in the sky, and the overwhelming colorfulness of the sun-filtering atmosphere is, perhaps, accentuated by the privileged viewpoint that is Miami; somehow the sky fills up with more colors than anywhere else. After the sun has settled in, take a few moments to bask in its warmth. Concentrate on your view, your surroundings and your companion. You are literally intensifying your life at this moment.

The subsequent details of your day are to be filled in by you at your discretion. There is no specific formula to achieve perfection within 24 hours, so it is up to you, the protagonist, to make the most of it. In my case, a trek across the Everglades seemed the next natural step, so we went out towards State Route 41 (more commonly known as Tamiami Trail). Somewhere along the way, my wife and I saw the vastness of untouched nature. It is pure, raw, wild nature, where alligators rule the land and birds the skies. Flowers too provide ornamentation for this area, including the most colorful and beautiful variety of orchids.

We stopped along the way a couple of times to contemplate the variations in scenery. The more we progressed westward, we noticed a constant: man’s presence is limited. And thanks to Mother Nature it is this way. The Everglades are marshlands that are inhabitable by humans. Due to the flatness of the land, and the overtly flooded remaining terrain, this region has been declared a National Park and nature preserve. If you’ve ever been to the Everglades, you can confirm this with the presence of the numerous species endemic to this habitat the variety of species in this habitat has seen the integration of man as a secondary element that plays a lesser, passive role. I’ve noticed that here everything flows and takes its own course, as it should be.

We head over to Naples on the Gulf Coast. This will be the setting for the conclusion of our perfect day.  Here we await, amidst serene gulf waves and millions of seashells, the setting of the sun. We lie in the sand and peacefully enjoy the scene with each other.

My wife and I felt the warmth of the sunset and how similar it was to what we had experienced earlier in the day. It’s difficult not to compare sunsets and sunrises. They are both beautiful, overwhelming sights. It’s impossible to not appreciate this beauty from our standpoint, here in South Florida.

So there you have it, a perfect day. It may not have provided peace on earth or a cure to all terminal diseases, but we did get to live in a slice of heaven in South Florida. It’s sad how some people overlook this and don’t experience this more often. I’m glad my wife and me went on this journey and broke away from that obliviousness. The whole experience has opened our eyes to the uniqueness of South Florida’s environment and its richness and diversity. They say, “No two sunsets are the same” (nor sunrises for that matter). I would extend that phrase so that it reads: “No sunset is the same as a Florida sunrise”.