Airdrie Public Library is pleased to announce the winners of its Third Annual Poetry in Motion Contest. 

Held in partnership with the City of Airdrie, the winner in each category receives an iPad and selected poems will be on display in Airdrie ICE buses. 

A total of 53 poems were submitted, with a winner and two runners-up from each category. 

Calgary poet Joan Shillington blind-judged the event this year. 

This year's youth category winner was 16-year-old Kyerra Storrier. Storrier says she was more surprised than anything when she ended up winning. 

“I just got out of school at that time and it was COVID so there wasn't that much going on so I thought I should make a poem.” 

Storrier’s poem choice came from what she saw out her window the day of making it. 

“It was about crows; I was seeing a lot of crows the day I wrote it. It was about describing their cries, how they eat, how they make people feel and things like that.” 

This year’s adult category winner was Kimberly Jones. Jones couldn’t believe that she actually won. 

“I was really surprised and excited, it felt so awesome.” 

Jones says her poem has a special meaning to her. 

“I moved to Airdrie five years ago and something I noticed every spring was how they street sweep away the gravel, and I had never associated that with spring before, but I thought it was really like special and unique to Airdrie. And so, I just wanted to capture kind of what it felt like to see the street sweepers going by knowing that meant spring was here.” 

Jones has been writing since a young age. 

“I've always written since I was a kid, but I never really thought that I was any good or could make a go of it and my family and friends really encouraged me to put myself out there so I did.” 

Jones went on to say that she is currently working on a novel and of course some more poems. 

Storrier plans on keeping writing as a hobby whenever she is bored. 

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com