The Lighthouse & Grounds
by Hendrix Jude Piscopink
Shutters flutter
At the window,
Connected.
There’s a door without a knob,
As old as a grandfather - 1888 -
Great, great, great
The skeleton keyhole is dead.
There lays a trunk with no tree,
Pushed by a storm.
The fences at different angles,
The bird humbled in a new tree,
In a satisfying way,
Then flew away.
A perfect blossom offering
Scarlet as a thousand Key West sunsets
Small as a thousand grains of beach sand
A beautiful little offering can a be a big thing.
The 69-year old leaf
Crusty, wrinkled, & dirty
Is still a special thing.
Outhouse, now closed.
The cistern held one rain,
The men, children, women,
Took satisfying baths,
Taking turns.
Mary Bethel, was a keeper,
a mother,
the lady of the lighthouse.
The lighthouse saved the mariners
From sinking on the waves since 1826
the stormy seas and reef
60 feet tall
The shiny fire fed by whale oil.
The first destroyed by a hurricane,
The next upgraded 80 feet
Making it easier for the ships to see
Sextants used by brave navigators
The lighthouse keepers kept the light going.
A serious rooster watches the younger scratch
leaves for food.
The crazy mega tree merges
A secret hiding place for roosters.
A beautiful feather glazed the grass.
Written at the Seawall Society of Young Poets, In a session led by Cricket Desmarais
Five Frickity Frackles
by Hendrix Jude Piscopink
Five Frickity Frackles
Slept on a Slackle,
Crickity Crickity Crackle,
Smackle Cackle Frackles
Two Taddy Mikes
by Hendrix Jude Piscopink
Two Taddy Mikes
Were So Siked
Until They Realized
😬 😱
They Weren’t Liked.
1st Place Winner
From The Studios of Key West:
The results are in! We’re proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Robert Frost Poetry Contest for Kids & Teens, chosen from more than 230 incredible submissions across Monroe County. These young writers moved us with their heart, honesty, and imagination.
KIDS DIVISION
Hendrix, age 9 — “The Lighthouse and Grounds”
Braeden, age 12 — “A Guiding Star”
Heaven, age 12 — “Dear Mother of Exiles”
Honorable Mentions:
- Fletcher, age 6 — “A Normal Guy”
- Scarlett, age 7 — “Animal Alliteration”
- Antonella, age 12 — “I Didn’t Know How to Say Goodbye”
TEEN DIVISION
Taylor, age 14 — “When the Wind Forgot My Name”
Gloria, age 16 — “Dual Identity”
Isabella, age 13 — “Dear Mother of Exiles”
Honorable Mentions:
- Jonathan, age 13 — “Moving to Another Country”
- Bella, age 13 — “[I physically feel my heart pumping,]”
- Romeo, age 13 — “The Boy in the Dark”
photos by Johnny White