Ben's Poetry Award

Each year the Lake Placid Center for the arts sponsors a contest called The Great Adirondack Young People's Poetry Contest. They accept entries from students across the Adirondacks grades 1-12. Ben's poem was one of three selected in the first grade category!

Out of a total of over 800 poems submitted, about 40-50 were picked...


On the drive over, Ben was excited and nervous, and did some yawning as well...



We went into the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, which is where the awards ceremony is held, and found some seats...


Ben was excited, but a little surprised to find that he would be sitting up on the stage to receive his award...


There were 3-4 winners from each grade 1-12


Ben came up when his name was announced, but after looking over the audience, he opted to have the organizer read the poem...

Fun at the Winter Carnival
By Benjamin Sheffield

The ice palace had a maze inside
And it was cool.
I went through it with my Mom
And we were playing pirates.
We attacked the good guys’ ship
And crawled through the mole hole.
We escaped and pretended to fire ourselves
From inside the cannon onto our ship.
I had on my sticky gloves
So I could climb the ice blocks
So high my feet were off the ground.
I almost reached the top
But I let go and my Mom caught me.

Afterwards, at Starbucks for a celebratory vanilla steamer, Ben tested out his new Gravitas with a virtual beard rub...