Williamstown sixth Grader Eathan Pike (Right) reads his award-winning poem to Middle School Principal Heidi Moccia in her office last Tuesday morning. Eathan was the winner in the Grades 6-8 category of the 1st annual Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District’s compost Poetry Contest. For his efforts Eathan won a $50 cash prize plus a T-shirt and a certificate. Photo by Bill Croney, The Northfield News Williamstown sixth grade student is now $50 richer thanks to his writing talents. Eleven year old Eathan Pike was chosen as the winner in the Grades 6 through 8 category of the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District’s 1st Annual Compost Poetry Contest. Eathan was one of 96 entrants from 16 schools that competed in the contest’s four categories (Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12) Williamstown’s Hunter Covey, a first grade student, was the runner-up in the Grades K-2 category.

Writers of all ages all speak of different motivations concerning how they write and Eathan is no different. But his reason for his success is downright unusual. When asked how his poem came about he said : “I just kind of bored and this came out,” he stated. “I was a little surprised by the cash prize. I thought this was just for fun. It wasn’t a classroom assignment,” Eathan said with a big smile as he prepared to read his short poem to the Middle School’s Principal Heidi Moccia in her office last Tuesday morning. Eathan officially received his award at a Middle School assembly that afternoon.

His poem about composting reads as follows:

Black soil, insects and bugs

Coffee grinds from my mother’s Mugs

Sweet potatoes she forgot to cook

Open up and take a look,

All this food, what a waste

I shovel it out

But don’t want to taste

In goes the seeds, on goes the water

Now lets wait till it gets hotter

Oh boy, look at the flowers

All Thanks to compost

I guess that’s what matters

Eathan Pike Grade 6 Williamstown Middle/High School

Reporter’s note: Eathan does a great job with poetry. I wonder if he would like to write about sports. By the time he gets to high school the Northfield News may be looking for a sportswriter.