This year’s freshman class is very creatively gifted. In Dale Shenk’s Old Testament class, they were given an assignment to create either a poem, song, drawing, or sculpture based on personal interaction with nature. Shenk states, “While most teenagers enjoy nature, they do not typically spend a lot of time thinking about or interacting with it.” The purpose of this project was to prompt students to interact with the natural world in some way and convey their experience through their creative project. There were quite a few poetry submissions. Several of them are highlighted below, along with some pictures of a few sculptures.
Untitled by Caleb Shenk
Nature is where I can let go of
Struggles, stresses, worries. I can do what I love.
I walk in the snow, wandering without a purpose
This is where I go when I get nervous.
I need my me time, time with me myself and I.
The glistening, sparkling snow- I never want to say goodbye
Walking around in the snow, feeling your
Steps cave in like there isn’t a floor.
Seeing the snow on the bare trees.
I love the feeling of being almost ready to freeze.
I can’t wait for sledding down the hills
And getting my favorite chills.
Tromping through the snow
Nature is where I let go.
Dusk by Micah Shenk
The air is stagnant as I stroll through the grass.
Not one leaf moves.
Not one flower in the garden.
The sky is blue with streaks of red.
As the sun slowly dips its weary head below the horizon.
Dusk.
The most peaceful hour,
Where the crickets chirp their nightly song,
And all the creatures of the night
Come out to frolic in the darkness.
Forest by Christian Yoder
I am walking down a pine needle path
The tall, green giants we call trees
Floating over my head
Around me, sounds of birds and reptiles
And animals not yet discovered
They fill my head with amazement
I come to a creek
It is swarming with fish, bugs, flying things
And general animal chaos all around
I sit at the bank
And wait
And think
And enjoy my surroundings
A strange noise stirs me from my torpor
It is the rustling of leaves
And the breaking of sticks
Something is lurking through the growth
Something that fills my heart with fear
The noise slowly gets quieter
I calm down
And continue on my journey
The stomped plant path that I am traveling on
Gets n a r r o w e r
n a rrow e r
narrower
And ends
I continue on my quest to explore
Creating my own new path
As I trudge through the greenery
I see a long stick
Whittled by nature
Perfectly balanced for me to use
I pick up the stick
And use it to walk
I begin to use the stick more and more
It helps me get through the tough terrain
And the big branches
Without the stick, I would fall
I would fall
And lose the path forever
I begin to grow weary of my journey
I sit to rest a while
At the top of a tall rock
And there I sleep
I rest for a long time
When I awake from my deep slumber
I am still weary
I see a figure in the distance
It is dressed all in black
It is coming closer
Closer
Closer
The figure comes up to my rock
And holds out a hand
The figure, cloaked all in black
Offers me to come with him
I descend off the rock
Descend with the figure
Descend
Untitled by Nathan Oostland
Trees keep me rooted to Christ,
the limbs are like arms that embrace.
Leaves show that there is life,
they show that God is there.
The Lord is my rock,
he protects me all of my life.
He is like the pebbles in the creek,
they sooth and cleanse my feet.
The soft grass is the bed God has provided me,
it allows me to rest and meditate on the Lord.
It gives me a place to worship,
I could spend hours on its green blanket.
I give praise like the oceans,
waving and dancing in his glory.
I sing to the Lord,
like the clap of the waves on the sandy beach.
I am a witness to of the Lord,
I share the good news like the songs of the birds in the sky.
We gather in fellowship together,
like flocks of geese who stay with one another.
And the Lord is the Earth,
He takes care of us and loves us no matter what.
He gave his son to die for us,
like the Earth gives us it resources so we can live.
Untitled by Emma Thomas
Green Leaves and long grass touching my feet
Blue skies and tall trees is all I can see
No worries only laughter
I sit down in the meadow
Time stops no tomorrows just now
No past just now
Present,I am in the present
Children playing, and climbing in the trees
Tall trees,big tree,alive trees
Secrets have been told under trees
Kisses have happened under trees
Death have happened under trees
Crying and worries have happened under trees
But smiles and laughter has happened in trees
People climb trees to feel free
Children try the hardest to get the highest
up and up and up
To feel the joy of seeing everything below you
Its new
A new way in seeing everything
I feel like my eyes have been open
I feel strong,free,happy
Beauty is all I can see when
I look at what God has made
Day by day he made somethings new
Day by day he made the earth
Each day adding something beautiful
Each day giving life to nature
To the world
Beauty is all I can see when
I think what he has done
And what he had made for me
Sculpture by Jacob Woolace
Sculptures by Kelby Youngberg