The Artifact — Emily Truong

My father hovered his hand over his toolbox,
searching for the perfect one.
Once he found it,
he freed it from the tight squeeze
of hammers and wrenches.
He brought it to my loose headboard
and showed me how to use it.
How he turned it so delicately and quickly,
without a thought.
He then carefully presented it to me,
like it was an artifact,
a silver sword passed down from knight to knight.
It had a black and orange handle with a sharp tip,
a metal stake, a dagger.
I pushed it against the loose screw
and turned the handle how my father told me to.
Once the screw was pushed in as far as it could,
I took the screwdriver out
and handed it to my father,
stretching out both of my hands.
He extended his palm, halting me,
and closed my fingers over the metal tool
that I had no use for.
Instead of questioning the gift,
I wrapped it with a handkerchief
and hugged my father, already imagining
what robots I could one day build.

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Emily Truong is a high school student interested in poetry and writing, and is fascinated with music, medicine, and community service. She hopes to contribute to society through her writing, along with her long-term goals in medicine. Emily enjoys her time in Austin, Texas, and hopes to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to expand her reach.