Dear Stars,

Please come down to me—
I cannot live on
Mist and moonshine
Alone
I meander, past
Cambered willows - they weep
And trail their
Haggard brances as the
Doves,lighting on an arching limb
Coo a low
Tremulous song, and a single note
Hangs in the air. But so ephemeral
Are these scintillas of
Joy. The very
Air itself is
Melancholy
Winds whisper a
Soft contralto to my
Plangent song. This is
Why I call to you, eternally
Luminescent stars—
For your company
I am willing
To wait.

---

Jane Jiang, Age 13 (2000 Finalist)
Lakeside Middle School
Seattle, Washington
Teacher: Alicia Hokanson