2O26 Tom Lee Poetry and Spoken Word Contest, Third Place Winner: Isabel Hasfjord

Gardenias
Isabel Hasfjord, Houston High School

The sun beams down—
dirt and pebbles
cling to my thighs,
sweat-slick and salted.

It’s warm in London—
far warmer
than it should be,
but I’ve been awake
since the blue hours,
sitting in a field of gardenias,
trying to stay soft.

They say gardenias can be defined
as a delicate beauty,
an intoxicating scent—
they’re always described
as grace,
as refinement,
as feminine.

I breathe in
until my lungs ache.
Maybe—
just maybe—
if I breathe deep enough,
something inside of me might shift.

Not all at once.
Just the smallest part.
A breath in my throat,
A sheen on my skin.

Maybe I’ll carry it,
without any notice.

Maybe I won’t need to explain,
why I came here alone,
and left,
not changed,
but becoming.