2025 Annual Children’s Poetry Contest Results

The Poem Inside of Me
Eesa Rahman First Place

There is a poem inside of me
It buzzes like a bumble bee
It tickles like a fuzzy chick
And bounces like a pogo stick
It gurgles like a water spout
It whispers softly “Let me out”
So if you feel just a wee bit funny
Or thumpy like a frisky bunny
And jumpy like a kangaroo
Could be there is a poem in you!

Birds Everywhere
Abdulrahman Abukhadijeh Second Place

Birds in the air
Birds everywhere!
Birds like the sun shine
Birds like the sunset
Birds like the moon
Birds like a balloon
Birds go up
Balloons go up
Birds peck balloon
POP
Balloon floats down
Birds in the air

The Caterpillar
Aafiyah Hussaini Third Place

Oh little Caterpillar
Grow and grow
Soon you will become an amazing pro

Oh little Butterfly
Fly and fly
Soon you will make some friends in the sky

Syria
Talia Sham Alghafeer First Place

Syria is sunny and smells like bread,
With mountains and olives and hats on my head.

The streets are like mazes with colors so bright,

And people drink tea from morning to night.

The songs in the air make my feet want to dance,

And every small corner feels full of chance.

The air smells like jasmine, the nights full of cheer,

With laughter and stories that pull you in near.

If you come to visit, you’ll see what I mean,

The pomegranates shine, the grass is so green.

So pack your bags, bring smiles, no fears,

Get ready all your food and culture and I’ll shed tears.

Fresh Laundry (Haiku)
Safiyyah Ali Second Place

Take in that crisp smell
Hot out of the spin dryer
Cuddle it softly

Odd One Out
Safiyyah Khan Third Place

When you make coffee
And you want to add cinnamon
But you accidently put red chilli
And even though it’s a tiny little speck of red Crimson.

You just don’t want it to be there
It was not meant to be
Like the odd one out
It doesn’t fit in.

When you give it to someone to drink
They spit it out
Or make a face
That you know,
Everyone knows,
It means disapproval.

What did you put in here?
Nothing!
You say it before you even know
That the lies are lingering
All the way at the tip of your tongue.

A lie .
You want it to be forgotten
Like how you forget the first time you stood up
Just because it doesn’t fit in with everything around it.
Just because it’s a speck of beautiful scarlet spice
And not a brown crumb of fragrant sweetness

Just
Just because
Just because it
Just because it wasn’t
Just because it wasn’t meant
Just because it wasn’t meant to
Just because it wasn’t meant to be.

On Silent Paws
Ayah Abukhadijeh

She stalks through the snow,
quiet
on silent paws.
The snow leopard she is,
with soft, silky cloak,
to perfectly conceal herself,
from not predators,
but prey.
Look past her, she’s a rock.
Look right at her,
just snow.
She spots a goat on a mountain crag,
hungry she is this time.
Stealthily sneaking up to her prey,
not making a single sound.
In the right spot,
at the right time,
with a leaping,
POUNCE!
She has him!
A second later,
she disappears…

Islam
Zainab Usman

Islam is my faith and my purpose is clear,
To live with honor, pure and sincere.
I don’t use words, I fight with good deeds,
A heart full of love and a soul that leads.
In darkness I stand with courage, not hate,
My heart stays gentle, my soul’s my gate.

Though storms may gather and fierce winds roar,
My faith stands firm, unshaken to the core.
In every trial, I find streghnth anew,
For Allah’s light will always shine through.
With patience and prayer, I face each test,
Knowing his mercy will bring me rest

I bow to none but the One above,
Who fills my heart with strength and love.
With truth in my heart, I face it all,
For Islam is my voice, my truth, my call.
Through every test, I stand with grace,
A proud believer in every place.

The Light of the World
Zainab Khan

Prophet Muhammad, kind and true,
Taught us what is good to do.
He helped the poor and gave with grace,
With open hands, a shining face.

He fed the hungry, soothed the ill,
Walked with patience, calm and still.
He spoke with truth, he prayed each day,
And showed us all the peaceful way.

We follow him in what we do,
O Prophet, guide our hearts anew.

Never give up
Liana Elkhateeb

Seek help from Allah and do not give up
When the clouds start to darken and there is no light anymore and you just feel hopeless but in your heart just know that Allah will guide to the straight path and he will make it easy on you. Then the light comes out and in your heart you say to never give up make your best effort this what my name means and I will never give up I will keep going and going until I reach the very top.

This is me loud and proud
Ruhi Aggarwal

This is me you hereby see, here I stand, loud and proud, I gush and push through the crowd, and now I am in the front, I tripped, I fell, I grunt, but that did not stop me, that’s how they will see what I have in me, there I stand loud and proud that’s where I am and will be.

With my art, comes flowers
Amira Sanchez

Flowers near the creek, flowers near the river.
flowers. All unique. some smaller some bigger.
some people may say it’s a lot.
However, you can never have enough flowers.
When people speak negative, the flowers change the mood.
whether people are kind or rude.
I always think of flowers every time I’m down.
Just imagine a bunch of flowers in one big crown.
flowers keep me going, day and night
with flowers near me I always feels alright.
flowers…
They make me say SUBHANALLAH…
As for art
something you choose. you decide
no right nor wrong
With art you follow your mood and simply go along
people say, “I messed up” or “It’s not good” then that’s not art
why? because art is your own path.
You CAN’T mess up, Its impossible. you CAN only improve.
Art is not to impress others but yourself.
And with my art, Comes flowers.
Art is you….
Art Makes me say SUBHANALLAH…