(Radio Iowa) – A Waukee elementary student’s poem describing what America means to her is one of the winners in a national America 250 contest. Mary Elouise Bowman just finished fourth grade, and her poem describes how the American flag represents her family’s military service to our country. Her mom Sarah suggested she enter the contest. “It was in January and I saw the America 250 contest and I asked her if she wanted to do it so she couldn’t go outside or play or anything because it was snowing out. So she sat down and it was over about a week. She had quite a few different drafts,” she says.
Mary wrote the poem as her brother was away for advanced military training, and says she had mixed emotions about winning. “Joy but also sadness because I felt really happy that I won and that I got to express my feelings in poem for him,” she says. “And also it made me a little bit sad, because there’s a lot of veterans out there that sacrifice their lives just for us.” Mary Elouise and her mom Sarah will get a free trip to Washington, D-C and a sleepover at the Smithsonian Museum for winning the contest. Sarah says the trip prompted a little teasing.
“Well when we found out that she was going to get to spend the night at the Smithsonian, her oldest brother, the one that’s in the army, said you know, they made like three movies about why that’s a bad idea. And I’m like, Liam, stop,” she says. Mary Elouise goes to Waukee’s Eason Elementary, and was among 125 students from across the country in grades 3-12 who were selected as first-place winners for an original writing or artwork submission detailing what America means to them.
Here’s Mary Elouise’s poem:
“A flag flies high with freedom and pride for all the soldiers who stand side by side. Each side tells a story of courage so true. And stars shine bright for red, white and blue.
The red is their courage, the blood they gave. Fight is for the honor, the strong and the brave. The blue hold stars for each soul who serves, protecting our freedom and all it preserves. My grandpa in Vietnam, my dad in Iraq and my brother in the Army. They all had our back. I look at the flag and probably say God bless the U-S-A.”
