Monrovia Announces Sidewalk Poetry Contest Winners

MONROVIA, CA – The City of Monrovia announced the winners of the Art in Public Places’ second annual Sidewalk Poetry Contest Wednesday.

The sidewalk poems program, also known as Footnotes, works in conjunction with the Monrovia Renewal Project and "adds an element of surprise" for pedestrians who may find a piece of poetry imprinted in the ground, the City of Monrovia press release said.

Monrovia residents submitted more than a dozen entries for this year’s contest. The selection committee was comprised of members of the Art in Public Places Committee and City staff.

“It was such a wonderful time reading through the entries,” said Mayor Tom Adams, who also serves as a committee member of Arts in Public Places. “We hope community members and visitors will enjoy the surprise.”

The 2019 Sidewalk Poetry Contest winners and their poems are below:

1. Rena Delgado

"Love is my directional sixth sense"

2. Grace Howe

"So whisk me away
To a great wide somewhere
A place I can dream
The start of an adventure
I've grown thirsty for some wandering feet
Desperate for a cultural heartbeat
I’m ready for dusty soles
And a passport of memories"

3. Scott Iler

"Tread with purpose, leave loving pieces of your soul where
your soles meet the street. Life is measured in your actions,
not in feet"

4. Ray Mercieca

"What I do for me
Will always stay with me.
What I do for you
Will forever remain true"

5. Maria Ramirez

"Library Park is the place to be
Children, dogs, and squirrels I see
A glance, I wave
A familiar face?
No, he wants my parking space

6. Edna Teller

"If I could fly, I would solve the world’s problems.
If I could fly, I would save the children.
If I could fly, I would rescue the abused animals.
I can’t fly.
But I can walk."