More than 1,000 kids entered this year’s TIME For Kids Poetry Contest. Poet Kenn Nesbitt chose the winners.

“I had an amazing time reading the poems,” he says.

All the winners will receive a copy of Nesbitt’s book of poetry “The Tighty Whitey Spider.” Ready for a chuckle? Read these silly rhymes from this year’s winners.

Grand prize winner

My House!

By Santino Panzica, 10

The TV’s broke, the couch is old,

my bright red apples all have mold.

The fridge is warm, the freezer hot,

there is a spider in my cot.

The floor’s a mess, the books are torn,

in my house, beetles have been born.

The chair is crushed, the windows smashed,

my new computer has just crashed.

Upon the table is a hen.

I think it’s time to move again.

Finalists

The Monster

By Nisha McNealis, 11

Shaking and shivering,

you lie in your bed.

Your thoughts swirl around

and around in your head.

Was that real?

Is it true?

Did you see a monster

looking at you?

Then you see a figure

in the light of the moon.

You start screaming and jumping

up and down like a loon!

The figure moves

to turn on the light.

“Sorry, Honey!” says your mom.

“Did I give you a fright?”

Homework

By Kashvi Lalgudi, 10

I really hate homework.

I hate it more than vegetable stew.

If you were given a whole stack,

tell me, what would you do?

Would you crush it in the blender,

leave it soaking in the rain,

melt it in the microwave,

or have it steamrolled by a train?

Whenever I must take it home,

I begin to sob and weep,

for homework is so boring,

it makes me fall asleep.

It is so hard to ignore homework.

It is difficult to evade,

for I am the poor teacher

who must give it a grade!

Fashionable Pig

By River Hayes, 11

My pet pig went super crazy when I saw her yesterday.

She wanted a new pair of shoes. She would have no other way.

I took her to the strip mall to buy her something nice,

but she went a little nutball and said nothing would suffice.

She wanted something fancy for her dirty little feet.

She wanted people to stare as she sashayed down the street.

I told her she’s a pig and doesn’t need such things.

She told me while we’re at it, she could use some pinkie rings.

She marched inside the shoe store, ignoring the good deals.

She came back to me with a pair of five-inch heels!

I said, no way, we’re not buying those for her.

She said if my cat wanted something, all she had to do was purr.

So the heels came home, and that night, she took them to her room.

I was scared; last time I bought her something,

the neighbor’s house went Ka-BOOM!

But then on March 3rd, the date of my birthday,

she came downstairs with a present  — and the present was okay!

I opened up the box, and gleaming, kind of teal,

was a pair of shoes — each with a five-inch heel!

She said they didn’t fit her right; besides, she doesn’t need such things.

I told her thanks, and then went out — and bought her some pinkie rings.

My Filly

By Mikayla Rethati, 10

I know it sounds silly,

but I really want a filly.

Just a little girl horse, it’s true!

I know you think I’m crazy,

but I would name her Daisy,

and in her mane, tie a ribbon of blue.

With no cares or pangs,

we would gallop across plains,

Oh, how I wish I could!

There would not be a burr

in her silky, white fur.

I would groom her just like I should!

I would build her a stall.

I won’t mind at all,

even if I give up my yard!

I would feed her oats

and not root beer floats.

I would work awfully hard!

Her hooves would be shod

so my filly could plod

without getting a nick.

I would get her trained

so she wouldn’t be chained.

She wouldn’t even kick!

So, Mommy dear,

I believe now you hear

my plea for a beautiful horse.

Now, I think,

it would tickle me pink

if you would say yes, of course!