To them the story has one side

By Megan Kleiner
9th grade, Staples High School, CT

With lines from "Guns in Chicago: 'It's the Adrenaline, Man'" by Rieke Havertz, a Pulitzer Center reporting project

To them the story has one side

Murderer
Robber
And most importantly

Prisoner

Not

Father
Mother
Brother
Daughter

To them a broken system doesn't need to be fixed
Why change the game when you are

winning

The walls are built out of stones
respect would be written all over them – and money
and these walls trap
a little girl
no older than 4
is sitting on one of the

Cold
Scratched
Metal
Chairs

She removes her purple puma sneakers.
She turns them upside down and shakes them
A razor blade
might fit into one of them
When children observe violence
the brain begins to imitate it
they trap her father
accused of armed robbery
and attempted murder
he just turned 21
to her he is

Reflection of herself
Protector
Knight in metal armor
Strength beyond measure

Read more winning entries from the 2018 Fighting Words Poetry Contest