A recent Oskaloosa High School graduate has won a statewide poetry contest.  Ian Kilgus won first place in the Iowa Poetry Association’s annual Poetry Contest.  His prize-winning poem is called “Borrowed Love” and was rated first out of 287 entries from Iowa high school students.  Here is Ian’s poem

Borrowed Love

I borrowed your smile a week ago.

I still have it in my mask. I’m keeping it safe.

It feels nice to have the weight of facial muscles lifted.

I stole your laugh hoping I could take a part as my own.

A sound nice on my worn ears, a soft melody to lull to sleep

I asked for your heart, or at least a bit of it.

Only to fix mine that’s been shattered to a million pieces.

Some pieces too tattered, I had to scrap them.

But here’s your smile back,

still together barely because I used it one too many times.

And here’s your laugh, now sounding like a broken record.

Skipping the best parts and stuck on the pre-chorus.

 And lastly, your heart.

Seemingly untouched, but crumpled like old newspaper.

Lightly torn from being smoothed back to how it once was.

I guess I used it too much.

Sorry, but not really…