There’s nothing like a patch of green to soothe the soul – and, perhaps, inspire you. So it was with more than 250 kids from over 60 New York City schools who took out pen, paper and crayons to enter the City Park Foundation’s third annual “I Love Parks” Art and Poetry Contest.

The theme? Parks are peaceful.

This week, 30 artists and writers in grades three to five were given prizes at an awards ceremony in Madison Square Park.

The winning works will be on display for the next four to six weeks at MetLife offices in Long Island City.

But then, anyone who writes is a winner in our book.

Here are a few of the prize-winning poems. Maybe they’ll inspire you to write, too:

“THE PARK SOOTHES MY SOUL”

I love the smell of the quiet park

When it’s light or when it’s dark.

The flowers sometimes match my dress

As I go on my daily quest.

I relax under the shade.

I visit where they laid

My grandmothers’ ashes.

Sometimes I cry

Even feel I want to die,

And fly away to another space

But still within the park’s embrace.

The flowers are bright.

They’re such a delight.

They’re oh so colorful.

They’re oh so wonderful.

The blue ones,

The new ones.

The smell

Makes me want to yell.

Some are round,

They make no sound.

The red makes me

Want to go to bed.

The flowers, the ducklings, too,

I look up at the sky that’s blue.

I hear the song of a lark,

Soothing sounds in the wonderful park.

– Kea Thompson, fifth grade, PS 108, Manhattan

“A PEACEFUL AFTERNOON AT THE PARK”

I sit on the bench, looking and

listening for sounds at the park.

Crack! The sound of a baseball

echoes through the air.

Children’s feet stomp along the soaked grass.

The empty swings go back and forth

in a ghostly manner.

A beautiful sunset of orange light

hits the monkey bars, causing them to glow with magic.

The benches that surround me

are filled with people

enjoying themselves on a sunny

afternoon.

Even the cars seem to be quiet as

They pass along the street that

Surrounds the park.

Thump, thump, the sound of a

Hard fought basketball game

Catches my attention.

I wonder if anything could be

More peaceful.

Nothing disturbing your thoughts,

But the slight afternoon breeze.

The wonders of a peaceful

Afternoon at the park amaze me

Like nothing else matters.

– Tchavdar Mouratev, fourth grade, PS 199, Queens

“WORDS OF THE DAY IN THE PARK”

Peaceful

Color

No light

Just dark

Peaceful

Quiet

Shhhh

Only a little

Wind no roars

Peaceful

Light

Just shade

Peaceful in the park

– Alison Wittner, third grade, Manhattan New School