Noami is in 11th grade at Wayzata High School. She is one of 7 siblings. She enjoys writing, singing, and playing piano. Writing seems to run in her family. Her father and grandmother both enjoy writing, and her grandmother published a poetry book in Israel. “I see writing as a great way to express your emotions, and how you feel, on paper in ways you yourself cannot express.”
POETRY - 2006
Grades 7 - 9
First Place - Sarah Aizman
Third Place - Shirley Aurand Wilson
Grades 10 - 12
First Place - Brittany Jaekel
Poetry, Grades10 - 12: Second Place
My River - Noami Zadaka
I am a river consumed with my dreams.
The whistling winds from all directions ripple the tops of my surface.
But I have my own current which strives to turn in the right direction. My calm moving current soon turns into rapids as the once crystal clear surface of my water becomes a mixture of my past present and future. I reach for every shore, searching for my destination as my values of family friends and tradition swim through my veins influencing my every turn. Like a blanket of silk being blown by the wind I swerve past my many obstacles. The sweet sound of my voice plays a dreamy melody teasing the thick pine trees which hide my secret place.
A fork in my river forces me to choose the right direction;
Who will I be?
Where will I end up?
The swirling pool of apprehension
Suddenly slows down into a slow rhythmic movement as I head towards
My future.
My mouth.
My voice.