one morning
i woke to springtime rain
and the first oranges of the year.
they struck like lightning
into the soft cradle of the earth.

and from the open windows,
through the flutter of white curtains
comes the tangy static of the storm
ripening in the sweet air.

i wondered if i should wake you
but you shuffled as if disturbed by my thoughts,
tangling your damp hair into the pillows.

instead i reached out of the window
and plucked an orange from the tree
to leave on your bedside table.
perhaps tomorrow during breakfast
i will peel the orange for you
and in the moment you hold
the piece in your mouth
it will lend its spring to you.

Jieun Paik is a high school senior. She is based in New Jersey, and has been recognized in the Scholastic Art and Writing contest, as well as attending the Juniper Young Writers Workshop.