December 21, 2004 > Fremont Youth Scores in Poetry Contest

by Mekala Raman

Last August, seven-year-old Sana Kalyanpur entered a nation-wide poetry contest with Cricket Magazine. All contestants were to write a poem about the Olympics. Sana wrote of the elated feeling an audience member has when the Olympic Games are about to start, describing the "oohs and aahs" of fans watching volleyball, swimming and "runner races... on fast paces". Her poem titled They Began in Greece won second prize.

"My interest in poetry began when I was seven even though I wrote a few small poems before that," said Sana. She is considering writing as one of her career options for the future. However, she is also pondering an occupation as a teacher, or maybe even a scientist.

"I love art because I like to be creative," explained Sana. In addition to being an award-winning young author, she has tried Tae Kwondo and has begun taking piano lessons. She also will appear in the "Whos Marching Band" in Star Struck Musical Theatre's upcoming play, Suessical the Musical, which opens in January. She inherits her love of art from talented relatives such as her grandparents, aunt, and mother. She seems, however, to be the pioneering writer in her family.

Cricket Magazine is published by Carus Publishing Company which also publishes other magazines designed for varying ages. One of these, the Spider Magazine, featured Sana's depiction of her favorite part of summer vacation (she and her friends playing in sprinklers) when she was six.

This year, when she saw the poetry contest in Cricket Magazine, she decided to try writing instead. As reward for her prize-winning poem, her piece was published in the November 2004 issue of the magazine. She received a certificate and book for her efforts. This contest has inspired her to write "more and different kinds of poetry" and her family encourages her talent by reading all her latest poems.

They Began in Greece

Runner races,
Going on fast paces.
Swimming swell,
Playing well.
Everybody oohs and aahs,
Seeing the Olympic stars.
Volleyball
Is seen by all.
They have lots of sweat,
I bet.
The Olympics are here,
Time to cheer!