FEATURED POEM

I Remember

I remember the wind slipping through the window,
the smell of heavy cologne
and a sweet, musky smoke.

The engine quaked beneath my feet,
as though a freight train had steamed past,
leaving a clouded trail of midnight traffic.

Wise stars peeked out from behind gray clouds,
their brilliant light harsh
against the glow of stone-cold street lamps.
The night pulled shadows over our car.

Our easy hands did not reflect our frenzied heartbeats,
nor did they falter in finding the other.
Even in the dark.

A stillness passed between us,
So quiet our thoughts became static,
Crackling like a lost transmission from a distant tower.

How far did that tank of gas get us?

Thunder boomed and storm clouds gathered,
shattering the stars.

—Sam Thompson, Coventry High School, 11th grade class