With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us and Christmas and New Year’s upon us, gratitude is at the top of the mind for many Island residents. In November, longtime resident and founder of Key Biscayne Poetry Share, now in its 3rd season, Debbie Wanninkhof challenged Island residents to show gratitude for our blessing by writing an acrostic poem.
An acrostic poem is a type of poem in which certain letters, usually the first letter of each line, spell out a word or message when read vertically.
“Gratitude is a daily attitude and every day we can choose to focus on all that has been given to us,” Wanninkhof said.
Below are some of the poems locals turned into Debbie. For more poems, visit islandernews.com and search for acrostic poems.
Treasure every day and its blessings.
Heal your soul with daily thoughts of goodness.
Act with justice in each instance.
Nourish your heart with thoughts of kindness.
Kick away evil from the shadows.
See the beauty of the trees, the flowers, the rhythm of the universe all around.
by Judith Greg
T hankfulness greets me every morning
H aving given me the sight of the sea
A nd the sun on the water like diamonds to see
N ow I feel so alive and blessed to be
K ind, loving and happy with all I’ve known
S ince a gentle breeze reminds me what God has sown.
by Dorothy Smith
T hings, things we’re so lucky to have;
H eavens above I will need a salve
A rms so sore from lifting all around.
N othing more for storage will be bound
K indling for the spirit is a good reason
S avor all and give joy for the season
by Dorothy Smith
T hanks be to God that I find a way
H aving to accept bad things this day
A nd however it is I find a goal
N ot letting it destroy my soul
K indred hearts help me look for the good
S omething I never thought I could.
by Dorothy Smith
Thanksgiving reminds us
How blessed we are
Abundance surrounds us, but
Not for all
Kindness and tolerance
Should be our daily goal
by Julie Kartrude, VKB Events and Programs Coordinator
Here is my acrostic poem, about the blue-and-yellow macaws I am grateful to see around Coral Gables 🙂
To the palm crests’ jewel,
Histrionic in your evening lecture;
Always against the brief violets,
Nimble as your gilded feather,
Kvelling in a fit of blue:
Seek these fronds again tomorrow!
by Saidy Burch
T reasure time with family and friends
H arvest hope, healing & happiness
A pplaud the good in our world
N ourish those you love
K indle kindness
S ave and share memories
by Debbie Wanninkhof
T ropical days
H alcyon nights
A tlantic waters whisper
N ature’s wonders call
K ey Biscayne
S and, sea, and sun
by Debbie Wanninkhof
Key Biscayne K-8 Center
THANKS, BY CAMILA GALIANI
Time spent with family and friends is time that reminds us of what truly matters.
Help others in need and kindness will find its way back to you.
Appreciating others is a way of appreciating the world.
Nothing is impossible with a big heart filled with happiness.
Keep the world safe and filled with care for the next generations to enjoy.
Showing kindness is a simple way to inspire others.
GRATEFUL, BY CAMILA GALIANI
Gratitude and love connect us all.
Random moments are often the best and are a great way to start beautiful conversations.
Appreciating others is a way of appreciating the world.
Time spent with family and friends is time that reminds us of what truly matters.
Everyone is extraordinary in their own beautiful way.
Finding joy is finding peace.
Understanding others and the world is understanding life.
Lovely actions equal a lovely heart, and being true to yourself is the most meaningful way to share your feelings and points of view.
St. Christopher’s Montessori
T hanksgiving means to be grateful for everything and everyone on earth.
H appiness goes to my heart in thanksgiving.
A nd when I see my distant relatives I am thankful to see them.
N ever be ungrateful for anybody.
K now everybody is thankful on thanksgiving.
S end thanks to everybody on thanksgiving.
by Vassa Breton
T hank everyone for what they do.
H appy Thanksgiving to all and to everyone.
A nyone deserves to be happy and thankful.
N ever be unkind to your friends and family.
K indness matters and is important.
S upport people when they are hurt.
by Earay Kahn
T ell others to be thankful.
H ey, be thankful.
A sk people to be kind.
N ever be ungrateful.
K indness is the right thing to do.
S adness is not being happy.
by Elias
T hanking people makes them happy and feel good
A person said THANK YOU to the firefighter for saving her
N o people say thank you to bad people only to kind people
K ind people are always thankful
S o much people can be thankful
by Umberto Pinto
T reasure good times with family and friends.
H appiness fills the home with family and friends.
A ll the pies and deserts we get to eat.
N ice Thanksgiving dinner we eat.
K eeping family traditions alive.
S o much delicious food to eat.
by Fernando Saldivia
T reasure good times with people you love
H ave as much fun giving than getting
A good group of people to thank are behind the scenes helpers like waste collectors
N obody should feel left out on Thanksgiving
K eep a smile of gratitude everywhere you go
S tart and finish Thanksgiving having an amazing time. =)
by Cristobal Aguilar
Sharing Gratitude
T: Thankful for friends and family.
H: Healing friends with hope.
A: Amazing season for faith and food
N: Never be ungrateful for your family.
K: Keeping family with love and joy.
S: Spreading happiness and peace.
by Leila Aswad
T hank you for keeping us safe
H elping is the best
A mazing job
Nice work
Kindeness
So kind
by Addie Beckett
T hanking people for their hard work and effort.
H elping people that need it.
A mazing holiday that is made for giving thanks.
N ational holiday for thanking people.
K indly thank the opportunities.
S haring a meal with friends.
by Sofia Ramirez Angel
T hankfulness brings happiness.
H elping people brings happiness.
A nyone can be thankful.
N ever say negative things.
K indness is happiness.
S adness is not happiness.
by Berto Vicente A.
T hanking everyone.
H appiness is created.
A ccepting kindness.
N ice and thankful time.
K indness is always right.
S haring kindness and hapiness.
by Carmen Vicente Alonso
Giving thanks
T hanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in November.
S ail Jesus Christ for giving us this food.
A good person to thank at Thanksgiving can be farmers.
N ot celebrating people at Thanksgiving can be mean.
K indness for people on Thanksgiving is really kind,
S haring food is an act of kindness.
by Julio Volante
T ry to always show how much you love your family.
H ow fun it is to spread joy and happiness.
A ccepting and giving are incredibly special things to do.
N urture the wonderful things that surround you.
K indness will forever prevail.
by Evie Beckett
Ms. Lola’s Class at St. Agnes Academy
T hankful for friends and family.
H aving a good heart is good.
A nother thing that makes you a better person is gratitude.
N othing is better than thankfulness.
K indness makes us better.
S haring makes others feel grateful.
by Alicia Poma
T ogether we turn small moments into big happiness.
H olding each other up with love.
A ppreciating everything God gives us in life.
N urturing the world with our hearts.
K indly giving each other all that we have.
S o this world is guided by peace, harmony, hope, and light.
by Santiago Estevez
T ake all the love family and friends give.
H ave lots of generosity for everything.
A bility to help others.
N ot to be mean to others.
K indness always comes first.
S mall things can mean a lot to others.
by Gabriel Velez
T hankful for all your gifts.
H appiness and love count too.
A lways thank everyone.
N ever forget to be grateful.
K indness in thoughts and words.
S hare gifts with family and friends.
by Cristina Mezerhane
T rue love for the family.
H appiness for everyday life.
A cts of precious love and joy.
N ever forget to show gratitude daily.
K ind actions can make a difference.
S imple things are the ones that make life worth living.
by Maria Duque
T reasure each moment with family.
H ave happiness to share with others.
A dmire everyone unique ways of doing things.
N ever let the worst moment turn into the worst thing.
K indness affects everyone.
S ee, learn, and share.
by Clara Farina
T hankful for life.
H armony in our community.
A lways have peace in your heart.
N ever give up on hope.
K indness has power.
S ave good memories.
by Mila Magaña
T hank you for everything.
H elping others matters.
A ll together we grow.
N ow appreciate others.
K ey Biscayne, thank you for everything.
by Alessia Sanchez
T he beaches are beautiful!
H ow we jump with joy!
A nd the boats are very cool!
N ow I love Key Biscayne a lot!
K now the value of community service.
S o follow the rules to be safe!
By Eduardo Waddington
F orgive your friend if they did something wrong.
R espect and play with your friends.
I t’s important to be kind.
E at pumpkin with your friends.
N ice words show love.
D inner is good when you are around friends.
L ive your life and see what happens.
Y ou are special in my life.
by Daniel Cuellar