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Cupertino Poetry Contest Winner's Poem; Teenage Category

Manasa Gogineni is the first place winner in the Cupertino Poetry Contest for contestants ages 13-17. This winning poem—written below—will be on display Feb. 1 to April 1 at the Cupertino Library.

By Manasa Gogineni 

My Cursive Backbone

My backbone is curved like a snake,

an ivory reptile that twists me on the inside

and outside.

Cursive, it serpents like an S.

It can’t be left to progress anymore,

so I have to wear a rigid plastic corset.

 

It’s called Scoliosis,

abnormal curvature of the spine,

left untreated they say your heart and lungs would

likely probably definitely explode

into a million crimson fragments.

 

People think it’s funny

to punch me in the stomach.

They call them abs of steel.

It makes me feel lonely but

I have to laugh with them.

 

So I pretend that back braces

are the new black

because I know a lot of people have it harder

and still make it through every day.

 

They say things like this will make you stronger,

make you harder to break,

and if this means having a turtle shell

for a few years,

I can’t wait to be weak.

 

Read more about the Cupertino Poetry Contest in these related articles:

City's Poetry Contest Winners Announced

First Poetry Contest Offered By City's Poet Laureate

Cupertino Patch featured the winner of the Child category, Advait Patil, on Wednesday, and  the Adult category winner on Friday.

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
A Chinese-American couple will dress just like their mainstream American counterparts at the wedding.
Crystal Tai May 1, 2011 at 06:28 pm
Thank you very much for you kind words, Priyanka! The answer to your question is in another articleRead More I wrote for Cupertino Patch, "Five Wedding Reception Venues in Cupertino." Thanks again!
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar April 27, 2011 at 08:21 pm
This is definitely very useful for the those of us who aren't Chinese, but do have Chinese friends..Read More Thank you, Crystal. What are the popular spots in Cupertino for Chinese weddings?
Anne Ernst (Editor) April 3, 2013 at 12:59 pm
It's difficult to know what's going on in a kid's mind unless they feel confident enough to open upRead More and talk. And this program helps us adults to learn to listen differently.
Debbie Reiley April 3, 2013 at 03:50 am
I too was at this Challenge Day. It was my 6th. I first volunteered because I watched the programRead More on MTV "If You Really Knew Me" when my son was being severely bullied in middle school and saw the program was offered when he was a freshman in high school. My company strongly supports me volunteering for this and allows me to take the day off work to attend. I am continually humbled by what these teens share and saddened at what some of them have experienced in their short lives. This program is so valuable. I think every school should offer it and every parent should attend. It helps us to realize that we need to think twice before we judge or assume things about others when we know nothing about them. It is the volunteering opportunity that I look forward to participating in every year.
Anne Ernst (Editor) March 30, 2013 at 06:30 am
Carrie, Thanks for allowing me to be a part of it again.
Janice Chua March 28, 2013 at 06:45 pm
It was fun hosting you all at Bitter+Sweet, Anne!
Loy Oppus-Moe March 28, 2013 at 02:40 pm
A big "Thank You" to Anne, Pete, and 53 other professionals who opened up their companiesRead More and organizations to give our students hands-on experience of what life might look like for them post-high school. Job Shadowing brings relevance to education!