The definition of a poem is, “A piece of writing that partakes of the nature of both speech and song that is nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits such formal elements as meter, rhyme, and stanzaic structure.”
Remove the stuffiness of the wording above, and poetry boils down to being a song from the heart. Whether in iambic pentameter, haiku, sonnet or any other form, poems bring common experiences of life, love, happiness and loss to bear, and forge a path for a better understanding of one’s soul.
Finn Maxwell’s soul has come to life in his writing, and his mastery of poetry has been recognized in the most prestigious way possible: Maxwell, a junior at San Lorenzo Valley High School (SLVHS), was recently named Youth Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County.
Maxwell writes short stories and poems, often inspired by his Boulder Creek home. His work has been recognized by the Scholastic Writing Awards and the Iowa Young Writers Studio and is present in The Malu Zine, The Blue Marble Review and The Incandescent Review. When he isn’t writing, he spends his time painting and practicing photography.
Maxwell will serve a one-year term as Youth Poet Laureate and will act as an advocate and county ambassador for poetry, social action and civic engagement. He will champion his own poetic practice while encouraging peers through readings, workshops and appearances at events throughout the county.
All that is to say, Maxwell is one talented kid.
“The Youth Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County is a representative of both poetry and civic engagement, and our idea is to offer representatives an opportunity to reflect on matters that are important to the poets and teens that are the heart of our community,” said Farnaz Fatemi, an Iranian American writer and editor in Santa Cruz who was Santa Cruz County’s Poet Laureate for 2023 and 2024.
Fatemi is also a founding member of The Hive Poetry Collective, which presents a weekly radio show and podcast in Santa Cruz County and hosts readings and poetry-related events. She was formerly a writing instructor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is a huge advocate for Maxwell and the Poet Laureate program.
“We imagine that the program can increase visibility for teens and teen poets, and provide the opportunity to connect with each other,” Fatemi said. “It’s about creating a community amongst teens that are spread out across county high schools and other educational environments.”
Maxwell will serve as the lead of a group of five cohorts that were recognized by the Youth Poet Laureate program, and will act as a champion for other writers and young people who are interested in writing.
The 16-year-old has been writing for many years, but doesn’t have much experience with poetry.
“I haven’t taken any classes in poetry, so my experience has come from what I’ve read. I was really drawn to poetry and found it to be more challenging than my other writing,” he said.
Maxwell has an affinity for short stories, but the personal nature of poetry led him to try something new.
“I’m excited about making poetry feel more accessible to teens around the county, and making them feel like their voices are heard,” said Maxwell, who references his experience at SLVHS. “I feel like with the current political climate, kids don’t feel like they have much of an opportunity to share what they’re thinking, or they feel like people don’t care. Poetry is a strong and important way for people of all ages to express what they feel about the world, and I want to encourage others to do that.”
Maxwell said he is looking forward to leading workshops and hosting open mic nights for up-and-coming local poets. He tips his pen to SLVHS English teacher Tiffany Darrough as the catalyst for becoming interested in the genre.
“She doesn’t know it, but she is the reason I started getting into poetry. It’s a rhetoric course, so it’s all about detail and word choice. It definitely encouraged me,” said Maxwell, who didn’t think he had a shot at assuming the seat of Youth Poet Laureate. “I submitted my application just a couple of hours before the deadline as teens do,” he smirked, “and I was really drawn to the idea of community and getting to know others with similar interests. You can only grow so much when you live in an echo chamber.”
Maxwell was chosen from the 2025-26 cohort of finalists for Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate, which included Sylvi Kayser of Aptos High School, Mason Leopold of San Lorenzo Valley High School, Noemi Romero of Pajaro Valley High School and Xander Shulman of Santa Cruz High School.
“I’ve heard them read their work and they are just fantastic,” Maxwell said.
With humility as strong as his talent, Maxwell is eager to bring others into the hypnotic fold of poetry, and spread his own wings as he does in his work, “Because Things Are Different Now”:
“For by the time I returned home at dusk, the seasons had changed
the youthful good had all but escaped my palms.
And it was a cold winter.
And the rain seeped through me.”
For information on the Youth Poet Laureate program of Santa Cruz County, visit sites.google.com/view/santa-cruz-youth-poet-laureate/home.
