Freshkills Park National Poetry Month Haiku Contest

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts and inspirations of the Park by crafting a haiku. Reading the entries–over 100 of them!–was a blast, and we are looking forward to announcing the winners on Monday.  Here’s the short list of poems that made it to the final round based on our preliminary round of judging.  There will be four final winning haikus.

Which is your favorite?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Update: We’ve announced the winners!

Adult finalists:

1.

Ascending the mounds
Planning, toeing at the dirt
Dreaming of new life

-Ginger Shulick

2.

Seen from outer space
Freshkills undergoing change
Refresh Google Earth

-L

3.

No more trash around
It’s time to put this to use
It’s been long enough

-Iris Young

4.

Fertile earth blooms forth
City skyline is witness
To Fresh Kills rebirth

-Stephen C. Knowles

5.

Seagulls search for food
Their meals are buried too deep
Must find new trash source

-Stephen C. Knowles

6.

forgotten discards
the earth grows a strange new bulge
hope springs eternal

-Deborah Fenker

7.

From garbage to green
The Earth itself recycled
Land filled with new life

-Tara Lynn Wagner

8.

north south east west mounds
sweeping views of the Bayonne
migratory route

-Lindsay Campbell

9.

constructed marvel
sheds water, makes energy
slowly sinking mounds

-Lindsay Campbell

10.

a park in my mind
landfill scarred islanders’ hearts
reclaimed, restored land

-Lindsay Campbell

11.

From trash to treasure
As from rubble to ramble
We grow; we evolve

-Jessica Kratz

12.

Birds speak, foreign tongues
The trees stand quite unknowing
As change ruffles past

-Kevin Booth

13.

time for long range plan
cap that thing and lets go play!
pretty verdant mounds

-Sarah Neilson

14.

the view from up here
one hundred feet of garbage
wow! new york city

-Sarah Neilson

15.

An island of trash
Turned verdant green, bit by bit
Soccer, anyone?

-Steven Averett

Youth finalists:

1.

Recycle, reuse
please reduce energy use
celebrate Fresh Kills
-Donald Dowd

2.

30 Years: The fresh air, boat rides
On the swings, flying your kite
30 years be there
-Shade, Esmeralda, Alexus

3.

The Fresh Kills Park
Wonderful cool scene
The water is blue and shines
Can’t wait to go there

-Shalon

4.

Hiking
Rough roads and huge rocks
Green hills and beautiful skies
Hiking is superb

-Zaria, Merita, Samie

5.

Birds
Flapping their own wings
Full of so many colors
A clean place to live

-Lobna and Samantha