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Verses Come From Her Mind, Heart

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By CLIFF GILL

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 15, 2008

HUDSON - With her shy and soft-spoken demeanor, 11-year-old Riane Lisnock reminds you of Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz."

Watching two birds sing nearby, her eyes open wide and a smile brightens her face. You can almost see her developing a poem in her mind.

"I love to write," Riane says. "When an idea comes into my head, the words just seem to flow out."

In 2005, one of her poems, "Winter Is Coming," was published in the Anthology of Poetry By Young Americans.

On June 10, 2003, however, tragedy struck. Her father, Thomas Lisnock, 37, was suffering from a coldlike virus and was hospitalized. While in the hospital, he suffered a massive heart attack and died. Riane was at her grandparents' home when she was notified by her mother.

"My mom told me that daddy went to heaven," she said.

According to her mother, Riane talked openly and wrote in a journal about her father's death.

"She's very inquisitive about her father and asks questions such as, 'Do I look like my dad?' Two years ago, all she wanted for Christmas was a photo of her with her father shortly after she was born," Debra Lisnock said.

The photo hangs on Riane's bedroom wall.

Last year, Riane's fourth-grade class was given an assignment to write a poem. Teacher Mindy Predmore's only guidelines were that there were to be four lines per stanza and that the second and fourth lines needed to rhyme.

"I allowed the children to select any topic they wanted," Predmore said. "When Riane handed in her paper, I cried when I read it. Her poem came from her heart and was well thought out. She has a way of touching others, even when they're away."

"When I wrote the poem, I was thinking about my dad and how much I loved him and missed him," Riane said. "I started writing and the words just came from my mind and heart and onto the paper."

As a fifth-grader at Schrader Elementary, Riane was a straight-A student. She was elected vice president of the student council, was a member of Safety Patrol, and sang in the school chorus. She also excelled on the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, scoring a 5.5 out of a possible 6. She scored 5 out of 5 on the reading portion and 4 out 5 on the math portion of the FCAT. She also won a trophy for her artwork, which was on display at the Chasco Fiesta.

As a result, Riane received Schrader Elementary's American Legion's Award. The award recognizes academic excellence, community service, leadership and patriotism. Her teacher, Christina Criscuoli, said she thinks Riane was most deserving of the award. "Academically, Riane is simply outstanding. When you add in all of her other activities, it's clear to see that she is a fantastic all-around individual," Criscuoli said.

Riane will attend Bayonet Point Middle School in the fall.

Twice a week, the mild-mannered girl puts on a helmet and pads to play roller hockey at Sportzone 2 in New Port Richey.

"About four years ago, my older brother, Tyler, started playing hockey," Riane said. "A year later, I asked my mom if I could try it and I've been playing ever since. I like my teammates and have made many new friends."

Riane began playing in the instructional league. A year later, she advanced to the age 10-and-younger recreational league, where she has since won more than a dozen awards, including a trophy for being selected as the top defensive player. She is the youngest player in the Women's League, competing against teens and adults.

Just as Dorothy sang of a place over the rainbow, Riane writes that her father is somewhere in the heavens. Wherever he is, there most likely is a smile on his face every Father's Day.

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