Author: Madeline Kinkel

By Evie M., Lamar Middle School

I dwell within the chambers of my mind,
Where pages of my soul crawl like vines,
Fresh ink, sweet and thick, I inhale,
Its weight pressing down, a shadowed trail.

Words emerge like Braille beneath my skin,
Tugging, twisting, yet nothing begins.
My thoughts, like brittle glass, shatter,
Each fragment too sharp, too scattered.

I grasp for meaning in a sea of haze,
Seeking a word, but lost in the maze.
My mind, a storm with no retreat,
A hollow quake beneath my feet.

I sink within my spine’s embrace,
Falling further into the empty space.
The more I try, the more I break,
My thoughts fracture, my sanity shakes.
Why is reading hard for me, how come everyone has the right key?

By Lucy D., Ridgetop Elementary

I am from Texas hot summer days
Soy de 4 grado en Ridgetop
I am from cold polar plunges at Barton Springs
Soy de mis amigas amables que entienden todo
I am from my moms sweet chocolaty haystacks and warm pasta with sausage
I am from my comfy bed for reading and “Be your best self.”
Soy de mi casa amarillo y la casa de mi abuela
I am from warm cheesy pineapple pizza and “Everyone is special”
Y “Buenos días” en la mañana

by Anthony P.

Mango The Cat
Mango the cat is fat
He is just like a bat when he swings
Then when he jumps he has wings
He loves different things
He always throws, fling
He is just like a fruit
Because he is so sweet
He loafs on the sill, yellow and gold

The judges have made their final decisions and we are thrilled to announce the winners in the 2025 Vision+Voice Poetry Contest.

As you you read these winning poems you will see that there is a lot of variety – some are funny, some are sad, some are mysterious, and some are beautifully simple. All of these poems succeed in presenting a vision or a feeling of the poet’s world in their own special way.

Judging poetry isn’t easy, and our judges take this task very seriously. There were hundreds of wonderful poems to choose from, and we are confident that these poems are a great representation of the best entries in this year’s contest.

THE 2025 VISION+VOICE WINNERS ARE:

1st Grade
Exceptional Voice:

Marshmallow by Enzo R. / Ridgetop Elementary

Featured Voices:

Snowflakes (a Haiku) by Smera K. / Austin Montessori School

The Watermelon Bowl by Sahana S. / Austin Montessori School

The Pig and Wig by Jasper L. / Hernandez Elementary

2nd Grade

Exceptional Voice:

My Treehouse by Remington R. / Ridgetop Elementary

Featured Voices:

Annabeth by Annabeth O. / Ridgetop Elementary

Rainbow Butterflies by Annabeth O. / Ridgetop Elementary

The Rainforest Vibe by Grayton H. / Blackshear Elementary

A Valentine’s Day Poem by Evelyn Z. / Andrews Elementary

3rd Grade
Exceptional Voice:

Te amo, Mama by Eva A. / Ridgetop Elementary

Featured Voices:

The Winter Knight by Raaed Y. / Doss Elementary

Fire is Destructive by Kellan J. / Doss Elementary

Nature by Charlotte B.H. / Ridgetop Elementary

4th Grade

Exceptional Voice:

The Ascension to Night by Kellan J. / Brentwood Elementary

Featured Voices:

I am From by Lucy D. / Ridgetop Elementary

Pain by Nelson M. / Homeschool

ADHA by Wilhelmine H. / Crockett Elementary

5th Grade
Exceptional Voice:

Masks by Zuri R. / Crockett Elementary

Featured Voices:

A Collage of Women by Mila G.H. / Ridgetop Elementary

Follow that Voice by Emma E. / Blanton Elementary

When my Feet Hit the Ground by Camille R. / Ridgetop Elementary

6th Grade

Exceptional Voice:

New Year, Same Me by Rosie K. / Gorzycki Middle School

Featured Voices:

Mango the Cat by Anthony P. / Lamar Middle School

The Pen Owns the Poem by Dillon M. / Gorzycki Middle School

Mirror by Carys C. / Gorzycki Middle School

7th Grade
Exceptional Voice:

Splits by Brianna C. / Gorzycki Middle School

Featured Voices:

Different DySLExIa by Evie M. / Lamar Middle School

Left Love by Brianna C. / Gorzycki Middle School

What I Already Have by Avery M. / Miller Middle School

A fractured utopia by Fiona M. / Gorzycki Middle School

8th Grade
Exceptional Voice:

The Forecast of Sisterhood by Theodora P. / Lamar Middle School

Featured Voices:

Home by Olivia G. / Miller Middle School

Asylum by Zoe B. / Lamar Middle School

November Mornings by Larkin B. / Lamar Middle School

9th Grade

Exceptional Voice:

Golden Hour by Blythe M. / Austin High School

Featured Voices:

Flower by Raghavi S. / Rouse High School

Broken but Okay by Raghavi S. / Rouse High School

Don’t Fall in Love by Evelyn R. L. / Austin High School

Art by Ayanna O. / Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders

10th Grade
Exceptional Voice:

One, Quick Second by Gianna M. / San Marcos High School

Featured Voices:

Living in the Subway System by Elisa R. / Austin Achieve High School

Thanks (Ghazal) by Stella S. / Austin Achieve High School

Breath in Empty Space by April Y. / Crockett High School

11th Grade

Exceptional Voice:

Echoes of the Past by Ramah S. / Crockett High School

Featured Voices:

The Coffin by Miles W. / S. F. Austin High School

COACH DIDN’T CANCEL PRACTICE ON TUESDAY by Brynn G. / San Marcos High School

If I could Paint the Way I Dream by Savannah W. / Rouse High School

12th Grade
Exceptional Voice:

Her Story by Morgan L. / San Marcos High School

Featured Voices:

One in a Million (Sestina) by Andrew Y. / S. F. Austin High School

Prey by Harrison S. / Austin High School

Old Man Johnson by Izzy K. / S. F. Austin High School

Congratulations to all the poets, their teachers, and their families!