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A Sonnet for the Princess of Ruins
Liahm Blank
The sky is brown with spores of dirty black
and flames gnaw chunks of rusted metal scraps
a lonely home: a squatting cardboard shack
inside the box, a sickly puppy naps
among the ruins stands a little girl
she dawns a crown of rotting cans of Coke
a leap, a smile, a final awkward twirl
she laughs despite her lungs that gurgle smoke
a tattered dress gives way to jutting bones
her feet are bare, her skin is ash-stained grey
a dying person somewhere distant moans
she coughs, then lets her tiny, weak voice say
i am the princess of this burning town
i'll rise above my world that's been cut down
About the Author
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Liahm Blank is a freshman at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Honors College, majoring in biology with a pre-professional concentration. In addition to writing poetry and essays, Liahm enjoys playing sports, drawing, and baking.