Robert Michael Pyle was eloquent. But the prominent North Coast writer made it clear his was not the most important voice in the room.

He commended all the participants and especially the winners in a children’s poetry competition with words of encouragement. “I urge you young poets to carry on with this. Let’s bring poetry back to a place of importance in our culture.”

The words were targeted toward Savannah Peavy and Jocelyn Williams, declared joint winners at a ceremony at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. Both are seventh-graders at Seaside Middle School.

Peavy’s poem was called “Silent River.” Williams wrote “Whispers of the River.”

The contest wasn’t new. Looking through records at the Clatsop County Historical Society, Astoria poet Jennifer Nightingale discovered 73 poems from a 1941 competition by students from Clifton to Cannon Beach ranging in age from 11 to 13. She and Katy Menne, education director of the museum, collaborated, spreading the word about reinstating the contest so many decades later.

They chose an inaugural theme of “The River,” taking the title from a quote from Michael A. Josephson (1943-2024), “We’ve always been Children of a Common River.”

Mirroring the ages in the prior contest, sixth- and seventh-graders in a handful of counties on both sides of the Columbia River were invited to participate. Eighteen entries were “blind reviewed” by three judges and scores were averaged out. This created six finalists, Peavy, Williams, Eleanor Dickau, Abigayle Claybaugh, Julianna Lambert and Isla Manship, who were invited to read their poems at the Maritime Museum.

Nightingale’s enthusiasm for the project was palpable. “I can’t believe it happened! There were suddenly poems and judges and youth thinking about the river.”

After the finalists in attendance read their pieces, the audience voted on the grand prize winner. It was declared a tie for Peavy and Williams.

Brian Habecker, a Seaside Middle School teacher, said writing the poems was a class assignment for his advanced English language arts students. He noted that it was, “a great experience for those kids. They will remember that forever.”

In attendance were four finalists, family members, the teacher and three judges. Each poet who submitted received a certificate of participation and copies of books by Pyle and Nightingale. All six finalists received passes to the museum and the two winners received an additional book from Pyle with a personal inscription.

Menne said the contest will return in school year 2025-2026. Information can be found on the museum website, https://www.crmm.org.