HAIKU
—from 2023 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
THE ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND
—from 2023 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Roselyn Chen: “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.”
YOU’RE STANDING IN LINE FOR A DRINK
—from 2023 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Damaris Caballeros: “I like poetry because it allows me to express my emotions through a form of writing that has no rules or restrictions. I can reflect on my life experiences and put into paper what I feel like I can’t say to others.”
FOR DADDY ON HIS BIRTHDAY
—from 2023 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Janelle Adamson: “I like to write poetry because it’s fun and inspiring, and I like getting to write with my mom because my mom writes poetry, and she has helped me be interested in poetry.”
EULOGY FOR A BALLOON
—from 2014 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Rose Foster: “Because I can write whatever I want. Be creative and stuff. You get to do whatever words you want. But they have to make sense.”
RUNNING AT STILLWATER
—from 2022 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Cynthia Zhang: “I always loved writing stories, ever since I was a tiny kid, and wrote a very long book with my friend, who lived all the way across the world. I got interested in poetry when I was in eighth grade, and I enjoy it because it describes and relieves very personal feelings. Often times I get bored (which was especially the case during quarantine), and poetry gives me something to direct my concentration at. Also, other famous poets provide great inspiration to me, such as Nazim Hikmet, William Carlos Williams, James Wright, and Robert Frost.”
THROUGH THEY CALLED US TWO MAIDENS
—from 2022 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Avery Yoder-Wells: “I like to write poetry because it’s such a dance between writer and reader. I imagine poetry as a wine glass, beginning broadly, then narrowing until the poem reveals what it’s really been about this whole time. Poetry has so few rules—grammar, structure, and even punctuation are subjective. All that matters is enjoying what you’ve created, and leaving the reader in a different place than they began.”