Welcome Paradise

Welcome ski season
I am grateful for your recently opened doors
You lead us into an unknown world

Welcome snow
You're light, fluffy, soft, and blinding white
Some people call you Champagne Powder
But I call you the Cloth of Angels

Welcome dappled sky, studded with a river of clouds
You are God's canvas, where he mixes colors
We mortals are unable to comprehend

Welcome emerald trees
You are resilient
You brave harsh winds
Sub-zero temperatures
And little sun
You are deformed and bent in twisting directions by the wind
Your growth is stumped by the short summer
And yet you persevere

Welcome speed
You give me a feeling of
Invincibility and exhilaration

Welcome endless vistas
You have horizons beyond horizons
I see your peaks
Reaching into the heavens
You have vast expanses of diamond snow
Reflecting the brilliant rays of sun
Defying its omnipotent fire

Welcome paradise

---

Adrian Rodrigues, age 14
2008 Finalist
Kirkland, Washington
Lakeside Middle School (Seattle)
Teacher: Alicia Hokanson