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      July 8, 2023The Assassination of Archduke Franz FerdinandRoselyn Chen

      you could say it was
      the death that started
      a great war
      a life dropped
      on a tipping scale
      sending it crashing
      until you could
      barely see
      the shards of brass
      a life dropped
      followed by millions more
      he was merely a student
      when he pulled the trigger
      making the move
      that launched armies of soldiers
      filled the air with gas
      that could drown you on dry land
      sent shipments of lives
      to the underworld
      you could say it was
      the death that started it all
      but the world was already
      a pot of stew, a few bubbles
      away from overflow
      two ropes tied together
      with threads, one tug
      away from tear
      and when it breaks
      the ropes strain
      almost unwinding into threads
      until they are only a shadow of themselves
      yet they continue
      tearing each other apart
      the great war, it was called
      the war to end all wars
      but it didn’t
      though we all wish it had
                … right?

      from 2023 RYPA

      Roselyn Chen (age 12)

      Why do you like to write poetry?

      “I like to write poetry because it’s one of the few forms of writing where there aren’t many rules. You can express yourself however you like, and be as precise or flexible as you want. I think it’s the freedom and the fact that I can do whatever I want that draws me towards poetry. Poetry is a river, and there are an infinite amount of lakes it can flow into.”

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