Every Day Counts  

2025 9th-12th Grade Poetry Honorable Mention

Every day counts 
One eerie night, the phone call came
Our parents called, their voices strained
“It’s terminal cancer” our lives had changed 

Every day counts 
My sister cried, I held my breath 
My world a space of fear and guess
Some kids end it all for less 

Every day counts 
We asked what’s next, but no one knew
The path too dark, our words were few
My father’s eyes still icy blue 

Every day counts 
High school rush, the days just blend
College, friends, it all depends 
All the time, the fear suspends 

Every day counts 
Allie enrolled, her life anew 
She hugged him tight and pulled right through
A silent drive, our hearts turned blue 

Every day counts 
Hospital stays, no clue what’s next
“It’s nothing new,” comes back the text
We fake a nod but stay perplexed 

Every day counts 
He quits his job, health is worth more
Days alone fading evermore 
The man he was feels lost ashore 

Every day counts 
Their twenty-fifth, it was a bash 
Vanilla cake, the perfect batch 
True love never meets its match 

Every day counts 
Friends and family come and go 
Their voices soft, their movements slow
They ask “How long?” We still don’t know 

Every day counts 
Days feel heavy when joy surmounts
Yet through the weight, our strength amounts
Through all the pain, through all the doubts
We find our light–every day counts.