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April 18, 2018 • Volume 19 • Number 16

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By Rachel GeorgeEditor

A love of writing coupled with tal-ent has one Gretna student winningawards and working with local com-posers, all before she’s even enteredhigh school.

Gretna Middle School eighth-grad-er Lillie Henry recently won twoawards in the Daughters of the Amer-ican Revolution short story contest,which focused on the 100th anniversa-ry of World War I.

Earning honors at both the local andstate level, Henry was presented withthe Junior American Citizens Commit-tee award.

Henry, who has always enjoyedreading, became interested in writingin second grade, when she was al-lowed to choose her own topics whenwriting and journaling.

“I just sort of got addicted to it andkind of never stopped,” she said.

And she isn’t stopping. Henry wasrecently recognized as one of the kin-dergarten through 12th-grade stu-dents from Nebraska and Iowa whosepoetry was recently selected for OperaOmaha’s Proving Up: Poetry and Mu-sic Project.

Allowed to submit three entries forblind reading by composers, two of

Henry’s submissions were selected tobe set to music through the program.

Themes included the AmericanDream, pioneer or homestead stories,ancestry and lineage, and “Journey toNebraska.”

Henry’s poems, “Pa’s Hope” and“A Mother’s Dream” focused onstruggles experienced throughout Ne-braska’s early pioneer days, detailinga mother’s struggles as a diary entryin “A Mother’s Dream” and a farmer’sloss in “Pa’s Hope.”

Upon selection, Henry was invitedto a workshop in which she watchedher poetry come to life through song.Intertwining piano and bassoon withtwo vocal roles — one of the father andone of his child — Henry watched herstory come to life through music.

“The music was great,” she said. “Itwas just kind of shocking. I was justkind of blown away.”

Now, the public is invited to wit-ness Henry’s work at the upcomingONE Festival. All works selected forthe project will debut in a 4 p.m. per-formance on Saturday at KANEKO,1111 Jones St. The event is free andtickets may be downloaded at onef-estivalomaha.org. All pieces will alsobe on display at KANEKO throughoutthe ONE Festival.

Composers set GMS student’s poems to opera music

Photo by Rachel George

Lillie Henry stands with awards earned in a Daughters of the American Revolution shortstory contest.

By Lillian Henry

October 23rd, 1863My dearest friend,I am aloneI left my sisters and brothers and mother and father With only a fantasyand my Prince Charming and My little sunflowerAnd my precious unborn child The Prairie is so harshAnd unforgivingWith plagues of misfortune I’m oh, so tired and weakFor I’m with childWorry is all that I haveWorry for my husband,That this place will not work with us but against us Worry for my sun-flowerThat she will die from diseaseOr savages will take her from meWorry for my future childThat this world may be too cruel for my precious baby And take thechild from meWorry for myselfThat if I die I’ll leaveOne, maybe two, children motherless And a Widowed manI cannot write any more, for tears Cloud my eyes at the thoughtOf their lives without meAnd this horrible world I’d leave them in But outside my windowAs the sun touches the horizonI feel God smile down at my familyThe beautiful colorsThat morph togetherMaking the outskirts of heaven touch This great landFull of opportunities and fortuneIf only I don’t lose hopeOr spiritThis land is our landWe can start over tomorrow Make it betterWork harderIf only we try‘He who is afraid of trees must not go in the forest’ I mustn’t be afraid ofeverythingOr I’ll do nothingI must be strongHave hope and spirit And be happyWe will surviveNo!We will not only survive But soar with eagles And touch the heavens

A Mother’s Dream

Pioneer poetry

Pa’s HopeBy Lillian Henry

Chirp! Chirp!Blast you crickets!I seeMy devastating pile ofWhat used to beCornI pick up a pieceMy blood boils in my skinLike hot coals,Steaming and poppingAAAHHHHH!!!I scream and start kicking what isleft Of my hard work and effortI get on my kneesPounding my fists on the groundBoom! Boom! Boom!My hands clutch big piles of dirtWhoosh!I let go as the wind brushes pass

meLike whispers telling me to openmy eyesI feel two teardrops trickle to thedry landAs I open themTwo little feet stand in front of meI look up to see a pair of royal blueeyesMuch like mine, but not hardHers are soft and innocent, filledwith tears Her hair is wheat muchlike her mother’sShe drops her heavy pailsFilled with icy cold waterPapa!She cries and my heart shattersI open my arms to herAnd hug my sweet angelWhoosh!!The wind howls as I hug my baby

tighterNothing will hurt you as long as Istill breathe I get up and started towalk insideWith her stillHolding on to me with her littlegripBut I hold on to her with a grip ofsteel Nothing will hurt you as longas I still breathe I whisper in herlittle ear as we walk into our Tinysod housePacked with earthNothing will ever hurt you as longas I liveI turn backTo see the sun go to sleepAnd the stars awakenHope fills the empty spaces in myheart Tomorrow is a new day papaA little voice whispers in my ear

I soak up the words like a bee at aflowerHer little head lifts upAnd I stare into soft royal blue eyesDon’t lose faithShe whispersOr spiritI finish with a smileRight you are my little sunflower,Right you areI turn around to walk in the door,But I stopI turn around once moreAnd look into the setting sunAnd whisperTomorrow is a new dayDon’t lose faithA little voice gladly finishes Orspirit

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