Colony poet eyes $15,000 prize

PALMER - A Colony freshman is turning her talent and life experiences into a potential prize of $15,000 in a national poetry contest.

Sharday Badillo has been writing poetry for years now. But her first published poem, "Cherish the Moments," is earning her national acclaim.

Next month, she is flying to Reno, Nev., for the American Poets Society Convention, where her poem could possibly win the $15,000 grand prize.

"It's pretty exciting," Badillo said of the possibility of winning. "I never thought it would be published or anything like that."

The poem is about a sad night in Badillo's life. She and her older sister got into a fight one night, and her sister left, only to be in a car accident that nearly claimed her life.

"I write about my life experiences, and that was one I wish I could take back," Badillo said.

The poem could almost be interpreted as an instructional manual for life. It tells the reader to "Cherish the moments while they last, or all you're left with is a broken past. Share the joys of life, or you'll be left to grieve in strife."

Badillo's mother, Sherry, got her interested in poetry when Sharday was in the fourth grade.

Since then, she has been writing poetry off and on.

When the American Poets Society contest was announced, Badillo did not even think of entering it. But thanks to her family, she is now in the running for the prestigious national award.

"My mom talked me into entering it, actually," Badillo said.

After submitting her poem, Badillo awaited word from the American Poets Society.

The poem was selected for publication in a book, and that in turn qualified her for the Reno convention.

"If you were elected to be published, you move on to the finals," Badillo said.

Badillo's poem also appears on the Web site www.poetry.com. With the entire world able to read her poems, Badillo is facing new experiences. She said she enjoys the fact she can read her work on the computer.

People can access it by typing in Badillo's full name on the search function at the site, and then clicking on the title, "Cherish the Moments."

"It's cool to see your own poem in a book and on the Internet," Badillo said. "I've looked at it a couple of times."

Photo: Sharday Badillo's first published poem, titled "Cherish the Moments," is in the running for a $15,000 prize. She is heading to the American Poets Society Convention in Reno, Nev. next month to see if the poem is the grand-prize winner.Photo by CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman.