Juan Ramon Jimenez (center) pictured in front of his home on Queensbury Road in Riverdale. Struck by the beauty and tranquility of the neighborhood's tree lined streets, he was inspired to write a series of poems entitled: "Los olmos de Riverdale" (Elms of Riverdale) and "Canciones de Queensbury" (Songs of Queensbury). Pictured above left are the 2012 winners of the Poetry Slam from Riverdale Park Elementary School. Pictured right is teen winner, Jordan Burton.

                                           RIVERDALE PARK ARTS COUNCIL'S:   POETRY SLAM!!!
 Juan Ramon Jimenez, one time resident of Riverdale Park and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1956, began writing poetry as a child. In that spirit, the Riverdale Park Arts Council has created the Poetry Slam contest for local grade school students. Meant to encourage the free expression of their thoughts on a specific historic topic through poetry, the contest awards a cash prize for the winning poem. The goal is to show the kids that there is a way to communicate a feeling or idea through verse. If they come away with a sense of creative accomplishment as well as a greater appreciation of the arts on the whole, the entire community is the winner. Of his own poetry,  Jimenez once said: "Inner poetry eludes words." Our hope is that the children are never at a loss for words to describe the world around them.

   from  Elms of Riverdale *                                                                                                                                                                                 
  1)  IN IT'S CROWN OF GLORY
     Beneath the elm tree,
     All of it's leaves are resting.
     He looks at them, fallen,
     but they look at the halo's
     white clouds against the blue sky
     that are now it's crown.
     Up above they once laughed
     With all the birds!
     (Now the gray squirrels on its branches)

They will not burn; I will let them
enter, to their liking,
on the ground which is
the nourishment of their mouths
so that to their roots
they give their red lifeblood,
those roots that were once
the maker of their being.

                                                                                                                                                       



Would to God not one leaf,
not even one, is lost!
Would to God once again
they become great singers!
Would to God all return
to their crown, their glory!
Would to God they all have
in their crown, their glory!
*Translation arranged by The Faculty Voice, U of  MD.