Teens Partake in Poetry Throwdown

There were no minced words Tuesday when three Moorpark teens took to the civic center to compete in a poetry slam put on by the Moorpark Library.

To celebrate National Poetry Month, the city's new teen librarian, Serenity Wilcox, who started on with the city in February, organized the event for students in grades six through 12.

Caitlynn Valdivia, 13, a student at Chaparral Middle School and Melanie Kuzmanovic and Haya Helmy, both 12 and students at Mesa Verde Middle School read three poems each before Helmy was named the winner.

Below is Helmy's favorite of the poems she read, an original poem caled Free of Theft. The poem is about the recent political events in Egypt, where Helmy's family is from. She said she has been following the developments in the country and is proud of her people.

Free of Theft

Oh you red, white and black flag

What honor you have brought to our land.

For when times were rough and bad,

You made us stand tall with hand in hand.

When Mubarak was on his chair,

Looking out the window at sights no one could bear

He would say “more, I want more”

And more he would get, until one still moonlight roar

At that hour the clock started ticking faster

No one could master

People flooded the streets

Crying and cheering, for they all wanted to defeat

Muslims and Christians

Brother with brother

So it did not matter, for they were all lovers

Camels and horses were meant,

Shots of the guns were sent

For the fathers of Egypt lost their children

And the mothers would cry till sunset.

Shalt not one soul we regret

Nor the blood my brothers felt

For in the end, the coward left!

Leaving my country free of theft