2008 SECOND PLACE

WHAT ABOUT PEACE?
Becky Painter
16 years old, Pennsylvania

Peace must be engineered by optimists.
Like a lighthouse,
It guides ships back to our land
And shows our neighbors the way home.

It must be designed by our leaders, carefully
To protect from our rocky shores of war.
The light of peace slices through the cold night air,
Magnified by a mirror of hope.

It must be maintained by our women
Who know that achieving true peace will be a challenge.
A fire which shines on husbands out at sea
Whose mothers and wives long for their embrace.

It must be continued by our children
Who count and remember each step they climb
So that once we light the beacon of peace,
It can continue to shine forever.

Peace is a lighthouse
Not built for resistance.
It is delicate and defenseless,
So we must stand tall alongside it.

Like the fisherman who follow the light
Towards the craggy cliffs of Maine,
The world must follow the emblem of peace,
Out of the treacherous waters of war.