Poetic justice — Burgeoning poet Isabella Gamez, a student at SBCISD’s Riverside Middle School, recently took second place in the Honoring Diversity in Poetry student poets’ competition for her poem, The Moon Over the Ocean. Her piece was published in The Poetry Society of Texas: Student Award Winners, 2025 Edition. (San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
Isabella Gamez is far from a typical sixth grader. Indeed, this precocious Riverside Middle School student is a contemplator, an observer, a writer, and most recently, a published poet.
In significant ways, Gamez is fortunate to have people around her who not only identified her penchant for the written word early on but have helped the budding wordsmith nurture and develop that talent.
Those supporters include her parents, who have applauded and encouraged her endeavors early on by providing materials, such as writer’s journals, where Gomez jots down inspirations and phrases as they come to her. Her teachers and administrators at Riverside, such as former English teacher turned first-year campus librarian, Adriana Tovar, sponsored a campus writers’ club where Gamez develops her skills and ultimately submitted the student’s work for publication. Principal Rodolfo “Rudy” Ramirez fosters an environment for growth and student success on campus. In fact, Ramirez has been such an influence on Gamez that the fledgling poet composed a piece solely about the campus administrator.
Earlier this year, Tovar, who has some 10 students participating in the writers’ club, received word that editors of the prestigious Poetry Society of Texas were seeking student entries for competition and potential publication. Quick to act, she submitted the works of her campus writers.
Then, one day, Gamez was left aghast, first thinking when she heard her name called over the campus intercom, “Oh no, what did I do wrong?” as she was asked to immediately report to the principal’s office.
To her surprise, delight, and even relief, the urgent summons to the campus’s main office was to inform Gamez that her piece, entitled The Moon Over the Ocean, placed second for the Honoring Diversity in Poetry Prize and that the poem would be published in the poetry society’s annual student edition.
The moon is so bright
and the waves of the ocean reflect the light.
The sparkling sea gives a rush of peace over me.
The waves are soothing
It’s enough to keep me moving.
The shining moon and the glistening ocean,
Just keeps going in motion.
For my love of the sea and moon
Is like a butterfly in its cocoon.
Under the moon
The ocean is so blue.
For it is a mystery and leaves no clue.
The moonlit tides under the night sky
For the prettiest moment is when the sun dies
And the waves rise.
As with many creatives, Gamez doesn’t fully understand or can explain “her process” nor can she say from where her inspiration and talents stem, only noting that her creative impulses are sometimes triggered by different circumstances and factors such as nature, memories, events, and emotions. The Moon Over the Ocean, for example, is rooted in a family outing at the beach, where she was awestruck by the wonders of the moon illuminating the gulf.
Sometimes, her writings come as streams of consciousness, other times, her poems are akin to sculptures, needing to be massaged and molded into shape.
Either way, she’s sure to have her trusty writer’s journal close at hand to document those waves of creative fervor as they come. As far as the future is concerned, the burgeoning poet hopes to pursue writing at the collegiate level, anxious to continue to hone her skills and to see where her passion may lead.
“I like poetry because of the way it rhymes sometimes; I like the way the verses connect to one another. I like how you can express your feelings through poetry, so if you ever try to talk to someone or express your feelings, you can express them in a poem or you can express them to other people,” Gamez explained.
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