Young, shy, and innocent
The pink glow of a teenager’s face
In the dark night, the moon shows its round silhouette
We bask in its golden glow
It protects us until we are safely home
Midnight security its second nature
Trying to keep heavy eyelids open
Before daughters and sons go to sleep
In the dark night, the moon keeps a watchful eye
Like a young girl full of curiosity
Adjusting her makeup with her mother’s cosmetics
The moon shows different faces
For those who live alone
There is no loneliness
The moon keeps us company
But people never look to the sky
The moon always seems chilly
Still it comes to watch us
Photo courtesy of NASA
Since this will no doubt serve as a learning experience for the teen writers out there who might want to submit to YARN, we thought we’d tell you a little bit about why we chose this poem. (And by “we” I mean Kerri, Shannon, & Colleen who read and discussed the entries.) “The Guardian” was a direct take on the Contest theme of “The Moon.” It has some unusual and well-chosen imagery–in particular, the “young girl full of curiosity/ Adjusting her make-up with her mother’s cosmetics” to illustrate the many faces of the moon. We also like the surprise ending: After 4 stanzas about the moon’s glory, the tone and message of the poem take a new direction and remind us to look at the moon, which is so much more than just “chilly.” The language of the poem is simple, but to the point; of course, not all poems need be so simple, but here the simplicity helped us see the moon as Taehee saw it.
About Taehee, in her own words: “My name is Taehee Kim and I am currently a senior in high school aspiring to become an Advanced Math High School Teacher. All my future goals are directed towards the physical sciences but I have a hidden love for poems and literature. The pink glow of the teenager’s face was inspired by the reflection I see in the mirror. “
Congratulations to Taehee, YARN’s first published writer! And THANK YOU to all the teens who participated and to all the YARN supporters who helped us spread the word.
I love this poem. I think it’s realistic, yet plain. The way she relates everyday events and parts of our lives that can be compared to the way the moon is for everyone. It’s always different.
The poem excellently compares the moon to a young girl. However, simultaneously, it makes the moon seem like it protects the girl. The imagery and descriptive language allows the reader to truly imagine the moon as if it were right in front of us at this moment. After reading the poem, the title seemed appropriately chosen. Overall, it was a great poem.