Adair County Elementary School fifth grader Kiana McHolan earned first place honors last month in the prestigious Kentucky State Poetry Society Student Contest. McHolan’s work – “Justice’s Touch” – was judged as the top entry in her age group. For her efforts, she wins a certificate and a $35 check.
“Kiana approached me with a poem that she had written about Martin Luther King, Jr.,” explains ACES social studies teacher Angie Smith. “She shared it with our social studies class and I told her about an email that I had received with information from the state poetry society and suggested we submit her entry. She was excited about it and so was I.”
The judges apparently agreed with Smith’s glowing assessment of the poem, deeming it the winner in the fifth and sixth grade division. “She’s very talented and creative in her writing,” Smith says. “I knew she had a good shot at winning.”
The full text of McHolan’s poem is printed below:
Justice’s Touch
No justice,
No peace,
Not just on the bus,
But in the seats.
From a whistle,
To a cry,
It was that simple,
But why?
He had a special dream,
But evil had a scheme,
Just as it would seem.
Now more than ever,
Their lives matter,
As they should forever,
So don’t let his dream shatter!
As this is too much,
For just one,
For with justice’s touch,
Together we’ll all
bond!
By Wes Feese
Media Relations, Adair County Schools
