Lauren Shelton takes top prize in poetry contest

Hudson student Lauren Shelton earned first place in the eighth-grade poetry division of  the 2nd Annual Southeastern Iowa Short Story and Poetry Contest.  

Shelton, a TAG student of Hudson teacher Mrs. Angove, submitted her poem “Jellyfish  At Night” after learning about the contest through class.  

According to contest organizers, more than 220 submissions were received this year  from students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Judges praised the thoughtfulness,  imagination and creativity shown throughout the entries. Shelton’s poem, “Jellyfish At Night,”  earned top honors in the eighth-grade poetry category.  

Jellyfish At Night  

By Lauren Shelton 

They gaze at me with ghostly stares,  

With an icy touch and suffering stings.  

In neon blue and pulsing pink,  

They drift where ocean shadows sink.  

An array of colors fills the sea,  

As midnight glows for all to see.  

They float just like a ballet dancer,  

To rhythms only tides can offer.  

Each move is quiet, soft, and slow,  

As ribbons in the current flow.  

Like a young girl’s hair on a windy day,  

Their tangled tentacles drift away.  

They swim so mindless in the deep,  

While all the world is fast asleep.  

From the floor to the surface height,  

They glow within the dark of night.