Louise Pedersen

First Place

“Systole”

by Louise Pedersen
12th grader, Mount Olive High School
Teacher: Christopher Murphy
First-place prize: $300

The soft sound of rain,
A wet umbrella by the door
Slowly dripped
Onto the
Floor.
An obscure puddle,
Hidden in the darkness,
The dying pulse
Of a disconsolate storm.

The only proof
Of time passing.

In the background,
I lay on the floor
With you.
The thick carpet against our skin,
Creating rough marks.
Red. Our hearts—
Dull, synchronous beating
Reassures me,
In our silence,
It continues.

When the clouds clear,
Like eyes opening,
The Sun will welcome you her way.
Away from me.
Away from the dark room,
Where I stay delicate,
And drawn out.
Together, apart
Our memories remain,
Like the stubborn leaves in the gutter.
The beating, invisible to an occupied world,
Forever steady.