Hanes Student Wins State Award for Poetry

Sydney Anthos, an eighth grader at Hanes Magnet Middle, has received the Kathryn Stripling Byer Poet Laureate award at the North Carolina English Teachers Association conference. The award came with $250.

Sydney was nominated by Hanes teacher Jennifer Flanagan.

“Sydney is a remarkable thinker and has always been one to take creative risks through writing,” Flanagan said. 

“She is a unique person, often introverted, and although she is timid in person, she is a lion on paper. Her unique take on writing topics are refreshing to read, and her writing style seems effortless and is flawless.”

“When I read her winning poem ‘War of Fire,’ I thought it had such a beautiful rhythm to it, and it was delicately written with pointed, smart vocabulary. She has a talent for developing a rhyme scheme that does not seem forced.” 

“Her poetry is musical and unique, just like Sydney. It was a pleasure having her as my student, and I am so happy that such a prestigious award went to such a humble, deserving student.”

Asked why she likes poetry, Sydney said, “I like that you can convey powerful messages with so few words.”

“A single poem can be interpreted many different ways depending on the individual reader. This is not possible or very difficult in other methods of writing.”

Sydney also likes the “flow” of poetry.

Her winning poem grew out of an assignment by Flanagan.

“I tend to read a lot of news and follow current events and I was thinking about our world and I just poured all my thoughts on to the paper,” she said.

Here is the poem:

War of Fire

By Sydney Anthos

The soldiers stood there battered and worn

Staring at a dark, desolate world, war torn

And watched it creep closer, It’s eyes full of hate

The burning, blackening, blazing fire crying it’s too late

can you not see that I have won

Look at this world and see what I have done

Nations of ashes

Countries of dust

Destroyed by men of power and lust

Cities of fear, mountains of shame

But nobody willing to take the blame

Terror and pain tear lives apart

Shattering earth’s thunderous heart

But if a heart breaks

It can still live

While greed takes

Love can give

Power is a burning fire

A fire always needing fuel

A fire merciless and cruel

But water is peace

Calm and cool

And robs fire of its fuel

This is the true meaning of war

Not the good from the bad or the rich from the poor

This war of greed and desire

Is known as the War of Fire