Scholastic Spotlight: Tonya Conway

Uncle
Conway, Tonya
Grade: 8
School: Circle of Nations School, Wahpeton ND Educator: Lori Hieserich
AWARD: Honorable Mention

The smell of cigarettes and beer I walk in
The feel of the sticky floor
I keep walking
The sound of obnoxious laughter 
I’m almost there
The sight of people partying
I see it
I hear a sick, horrible cough
I’m here
My father crying
The worried look on my grandmother’s face 
My sister praying
I look down
The hospital bed
My uncle
As he lay there
Quiet, calm, peaceful
Few days past
The dream
My uncle
He’s happy, healthy, glowing 
I already knew
No I didn’t want to

But I had to
To my uncle
I never got to say goodbye Here I am
I remember 
The laughter 
The jokes 
The wrestling 
The games 
The bets 
Everything
I love my uncle 
Family, friends, and I

Pumpkin
Timber witch
The baby face brats
His brothers;
Kenny, Bradley, Brock, and Brendon 
Then...
Timber witch baby
Brayden
People to love and know
Be loved
No pain no game
He would call me pumpkin
My uncle
My dearest uncle
We played
We laughed
Time went by
The only regret
I never got to say goodbye
Here I am
Eight years past
Fourteen years old
Finally at last
High school is here
Graduation near
But there is never a time
I don’t think about my uncle
I wish I could say goodbye
I’m here, I’m ready
Let go of my past
Let behold my future
And to my uncle
I love you I miss you
And now it’s time to say...
Goodbye