First Place Winner of the 2026 English Student Poetry Contest
she combs her fingers through then
stops
says something in her native tongue
plucks
beautiful lyrical giggle
has this been that hard on you, nawhui sarang?
splinters and pangs
cracks crease my brow
her smile flambé
i caress her bandages with tired fingers
gently
like walking on
thin ice.
silence.
our fingers continue
her’s seeks
seeks
finally finds
another
stops
plucks.
mine glides like
cat-hair
on hardwood floor
blown by
the AC.
Silence.
Mark Trager is a KSU graduate student currently finalizing his capstone in the KSU MAPW program with a focus in Creative Writing. He has published a book of poetry called Shine in 2022 and both his poetic and prose work have been published in anthologies and online journals. You can read more of Mark’s writing and connect with him at MarkTrager.com. He and his wife Su reside in Canton, GA. All glory to Yeshua the Messiah and Savior of all. Luke 6:40.