A4

By KRIS MCDAVID
mcdavid.kristofer@dailygleaner.com

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What started as a run-of-the-mill high school English project, quickly became much more than that for 15-year-old Jacie Targett.

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The Daily Gleaner/James West Pho

TO WIN: Fifteen-year-old Jacie Targett holds up her poem published in Best Poetry of 2007 on Saturday afternoon. Targett, whose poem is first in the book, says she loves to write.

A Grade 10 student at Harvey High School, Targett one day found herself perusing the website poetry.com, when she spotted something that caught her eye: A free poetry contest.

She submitted one of the poems she had completed for a project in her English class and thought nothing more of it.

But a few weeks later, when Targett got word that her poem, To Live, would be published in the website's annual hardcover compilation of top user-submitted works, she could barely contain her excitement.

"It's just really cool," she said. "I was pretty shocked."

Even more shocking, Targett said, was when she opened the book, entitled Best Poetry of 2007, to page one and her poem was staring back at her.

"My mom got all teary eyed, my dad couldn't believe it, and my brother kept reminding me, 'Jacie, it's on the first page, it's on the first page!'" she said.

The publication featured more than 200 works of poetry.

Targett said her poem deals primarily with the topic of love and all of its complexities.

"When you love anyone, it can be scary because you don't want to lose them, and it can be hard because you don't want to hurt each other," she said.

"But if you don't learn to love, you're going to be missing out on a lot - that's basically what it's about."

As a winner, Targett also qualified for a trip to a poetry convention in Las Vegas, Nev., but decided not to go.

Targett said writing has been an avenue for her to channel her creativity since she learned how to hold a pen.

"I've always liked to write, but I started doing more of it in Grade 7, just for the heck of it," she said.

"I got more into it in Grade 8. Last year in Grade 9, it had evolved into being a pretty huge part of my life, I was doing it all the time and I just continue to keep building on it."

Targett said she plans to keep a pen and paper handy in the future, though writing isn't necessarily something she wishes to pursue professionally.

She said she wants to study law someday.