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A Gift From Port to Port

by Kendall Moisey

200 words

Imagine you are a tree. A teeny sapling. 

A young couple plants you in their yard. When you’re big enough, they decorate you for the holidays.

Decades pass and you grow taller and taller and taller.

Until one year, a scout decides that you are the perfect tree in the whole province of Nova Scotia. 

A crowd gathers. Carefully, they cut your trunk and load you onto a truck. Smiling faces line the streets as you roll to the ocean.

You sail south.

They stand you up, tall again, in the middle of the oldest park in America. 

Branches covered with thousands of lights, you've never shone so brightly.

Usually a Christmas tree is surrounded by gifts, but you? You ARE the gift. 

For over 50 years, Nova Scotia has given a Christmas tree to the city of Boston. A gesture of thanks for help in their darkest moment. 

Over 100 years ago, two ships collided and exploded. Thousands were hurt — and worse — and much of Halifax was destroyed.

Hours later, Boston loaded up a train with doctors, nurses and supplies and sent it north through a blizzard. 

Nova Scotia has never forgotten. They still send a tree every year.

Blood- The Gift of Life

Denise Seidman

WC= 191 words

Everyday, blood does important jobs for the human body. It moves food, water, and waste to where it should go. Blood, especially white blood cells fight infections and sicknesses. Blood maintains body temperature.

Disease and injuries cause blood loss. If a person loses 40% of their blood volume, they're in trouble because the blood cannot maintain its functions.

There is no such thing as artificial blood. It cannot be made synthetically in a lab. You have to use real blood to refill a person's blood supply.

People who need transfusions receive blood from blood donors. A donation is only 10% of the donor's blood supply, about one pint.

The donation doesn't take that long. Usually it takes about 45- 60 minutes. 

There are four blood types A, B, AB  and O. Blood types cannot be mixed. Type O can donate to anyone.

Blood transfusions don't take long.  A bag of blood is put into a vein with an IV needle.

Blood transfusions in children are carefully watched. Replacement blood is matched to the child's weight. The donated blood is put in special smaller tubes 

Blood donations make a gift of life.

THE WATER CLOCK

By: Amanda Paniagua (WC 176)

Long before the ticks and tocks                     

of moving hands from noisy clocks,         

Of pendulums and pockets primed,                                    

and cuckoo birds and church bell chimes,    

Earlier than timers rang

and wound-up pieces popped and sprang,

Gentle tones were all around,

keeping time by nature’s sound.

Morning birdsong, whooshing tides,   

twilight crickets, starlit rides. 

The quiet of a shadow stretched;

a sundial’s numbers, deeply etched.

            [Art note: Ancient person ponders while storm clouds block sundial shadow.]

“But who can tell the time of day

when weather blows the signs away?    

Like this river rolling past,              [Art note: the River Nile]             

Time goes on. A clock should last.”

Pharaohs, judges, temple priests,       

a barber’s son in Ancient Greece,       

Astronomers in Chinese towers,

Persian elders counting hours,

Harnessed water’s natural gifts         

for tracking time in minute shifts.           

Two clay pots, a cork unsealed,             

water flowing— Time revealed.                

A turning wheel, the gears entwined,

a floating hand— the day defined. 

Siphons empty, cups refill.

The Water Clock is never still.

Steady, calm, yet vast… and swift.

Time

is Water’s

                        quiet

gift.

The Jamdani* Effect. By Miral Azam Khalil WC:196  “Why don’t we move our shop to the mall?” Noor asked, whirling until her mother's jamdani* dupatta wrapped tightly around her tiny body. The lines at other businesses of Lakshmi Chowk* stretched long, but their business barely had a customer in months. Her mother hand embroidered delicate fabrics: silks, organzas-but Noor loved the Jamdani fabric the best. Mondays Noor adorned an ajrak* scarf with sheesha*, to fetch fresh Naan* from the tandoor*. Wednesdays she donned a silk kameez* with gotapati* , to collect ghee from the milk shop. Thursdays she fashioned a chikankari* khadi* shalwar* to restock dried spices from the pansari* store. Fridays she sported a flowy cutwork* linen kaftan* to pray Jumah* at the mosque and enjoy ras-malai* a gift for every child who prayed on Friday, from Ustad Halwai’s* confectionery.

 This Jumah- Noor prayed for different gift: “Please Allah*, send my mother some customers.” Ustad Halwai and others overheard her anxious pleas.. “Select your mother's finest works and bring them to us.” They instructed her.

Displaying her work in every business - Noor’s mother quickly gained a reputation for fantastic craftsmanship- customers lined up, but Noor realized that “community” was the real gift. Glossary: Jamdani: Translucent Muslin Chowk: Market Square Ajrak: Unique textile block printing found in Sindh , Pakistan Sheesha: Mirror work-embroidery Naan: Flat Bread Tandoor: Traditional clay oven Kameez: Traditional shirt/long tunic Gotapati: Traditional Applique embroidery Chikankari: Delicate needlework embroidery Khadi: Hand-spun natural fibre cloth(cotton, wool, silk) Shalwar: Loose fitting trousers, tapering end Pansari: Traditional herbalist/grocer Cutwork: Delicate embroidery-fabric is cutaway and filled with lace like stitches Kaftan: Long  loose fitting tunic, often worn with a belt Jumah: Friday-refers to Friday Prayer Ras-Malai: Popular South Asian dessert Ustad Halwai: Master Confectioner in South Asia Allah: Standard Arabic word for God

Pebbles

By Sara Dykstra

192 words

“Mom! Come on!” Megan urges as she pulls her mom toward the penguin exhibit. Finally, the end of the tunnel appears brighter, opening into the penguin gallery. 

Megan releases her mom, surging toward the glass.

“They're bringing out the pebbles!”

Megan intently watches the animal keepers as they reach into buckets.  Colorful pebbles are laid on the ground for the gentoo penguins. The largest male chooses a red one by picking it up in its mouth and waddling over to a female. He gently places it at her feet as she bobs her head. 

More penguins approach the pebbles, select pebbles, and then hop over to the females. 

Megan giggles as she watches the penguins present their gifts. 

“Do you see yours?” Megan’s mom asks. 

“No,” Megan starts. “Oh wait! There it is, the half pink, half yellow one.”

Megan’s mom takes photos of her and of the pebble she painted at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium's rock-painting party. 

“That penguin is going to pick mine!”

The gentoo carefully places the pebble at the feet of a popular female. She moves it closer with her foot. 

“She likes the gift!” cheers Megan

Hanno the White Elephant

by Lauren N. Simmons

177 words

This is the story of Hanno, a four-old white elephant, who truly journeyed from India to Lisbon - and beyond! - in 1514.

My journey begins with Holi,

bright colors.

SWOOSH!

Yellow powders land on my white skin.

I try to catch them in the air with my trunk.

Time to leave my home… India.

Deepest navy, periwinkle, aqua,

So many shades of blue 

As I sail toward a foreign land.

Before reaching the shore, I smell oranges so fragrant I can imagine the taste in my mouth.

Lisbon!

A Portuguese paradise.

SPLOOSH!

People gather as I spout water from my trunk,

enchanted as if by a garden fountain.

SWISH! I lift my trunk to trumpet, 

heralding the king’s entrance.

I SMOOSH myself small, kneeling at his feet.

People are amazed.

It is decided I will continue my journey 

to another king…

A king of the church 

who lives in Rome.

There’s no doubt:

my life is exciting.

Still, I wish I could be a simple elephant,

playing…

back in India.

I’m just a kid, too.

Not a gift.

THE GROLAR BEAR

By:  Mindy Baker

WC:  200 

The summer sun blazed.  Graham was hot.  

Lumbering from the den to find the river, he found blackberry bushes, juicy ants, and a shady thicket to nap.

When Graham awoke, it was dark.  

“Mama Grizzly will be worried.”  

He started into the woods and stumbled upon water.

“The river!  I’ll swim home!”

Graham swam and swam and grew very weary.

Finally, he saw a bear. 

“Mama?” he whimpered.

“Swim to me, little one!” the bear called.

A big paw wrapped him snuggly, and he fell fast asleep.  

He slept a looooong time.  He awoke shivering.  

“Mama?” 

“Nope!” a voice giggled.

Graham saw a white bear and rubbed his eyes.

“Are you a g-g-ghost?” 

“No, silly!  I’m Paisley Polar Bear!  Mama scooped you out of the ocean.”

Confused, he stumbled from the den.  Arctic air froze his fur; he dove back in.

A massive white bear entered. 

“Hello, Graham.  I brought you a gift:  fish.”

“Now, let’s go teach you to fish in the Arctic Ocean. 

Paisley and Graham grew big and strong.  Soon, they had cubs of their own with white and brown fur.  There have since been several Grolar Bear sightings in the Arctic—a gift to the world. 

BEACHCOMBERS

By: Megan McNamara

(Word Count: 198)

It was the last day of vacation.

Lottie didn’t want to leave. “I wish I could take the beach home.”

“You need a souvenir,” Harlan said.

“What’s a souvenir?”

“A gift that helps you remember your trip.”

“Great idea! Mom. Dad. Can we go to the store?” Lottie asked.

“We’ll think about it,” Dad said.

Lottie was pretty sure that meant “no.”

At the beach, Lottie couldn’t enjoy the surf. Or the sand. Or the sun. She really really really wanted to remember this trip.

Harlan tapped her shoulder. “Let’s play tag.”

They squished into wet sand.

They tiptoed toward the ocean.

Until… IT SPOTTED THEM!

“RUN!”

But Lottie stopped. And the ocean tagged her.

“You’re it, Lottie,” Harlan said.

“Look. I stepped on something!”

She picked up a white disc stamped with a flower.

“That’s a sand dollar,” Dad said.

“I found money?”

“Actually, it’s a skeleton,” Mom said.

“From what?” Harlan asked. “A fish?”

“From a flat sea urchin.”

“Whoa,” Lottie said.

“Amazing,” Harlan said.

“Wait. I see another one!”

“Let’s go!”

They searched for sand dollars until the sun set.

Lottie tucked them carefully into her pocket. “I think I’ll remember this trip after all.”

LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!

HOW TO FIND A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER

By Judie Anderson Offerdahl

Word count 190 with backmatter, 160 without

Pssst!

Want to find a four-leaf clover?

Lean in.

Here’s the secret…

Look! Look! Look!             

            In clover-filled lawns,

by boulders in gardens,

along patches by the path.

Get rest

            Make sure your body’s ready,

Freshen tired eyes

                                    Wear glasses-

eyeglasses, or sun.

Believe

            …you’ll find one:

                                    today,

tomorrow,

someday.

Time it Right

            Remember,

Clover leaves curl

                        in scorching sun

and some

shyly tuck in at night.

Prepare

            Spritz with spray…

                                    both sunscreen

and tick.

Celebrate Success!

Find one?

Yes!

Time to Choose…

                                    Take a photo.

                                                            Press it,

                                                                        for yourself or as a gift-

                                                                        Better yet,

let it grow.

It’s a one in ten thousand treasure,

You can search for again tomorrow.

Not a one?

Don’t be sad. You…

                        Soaked in the sun,

Heard the buzzing of wings

and scrunched your toes in the velvety lawn.

THAT was

a one in ten thousand treasure…

Just

like

you!

Besides, 

You can search again-

Later,

tomorrow,

someday.

If you...

Look!

Look!

Look!

Backmatter:

Some say four-leaf clovers are now only a one in five thousand find. That's still pretty rare! I find at least 100 each year because I LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!

The Perfect Pebble

By Jessie D. Phillips

144 words

Sonny the penguin waddled along, turning over every pebble,

inspecting each,

for the smoothest one to give to Lily.

The first stone was rough.

The second stone was bumpy.

The third was pointy.

All of the pebbles seemed wrong.

But then, on the tip of the peninsula, a peculiar stone caught his eye.

He peered through its clear, glassy center.

Holding it in his beak to the sunlight, it glinted a fiery red and orange.

In the snow and ice, the pebble’s insides swirled like the ocean.

It reminded him of Lily,

who shined like the sun

and loved diving and swimming.

Sonny carried the precious package back to Lily.

Who turned it over and over in her beak.

The sun burned within it.

The ocean swelled inside it.

Lily nestled the perfect pebble on the ground.

The first piece for their rock nest.