In Third Period, Samuel Ludke captures the raw pulse of youth, memory, and transformation. Through vivid imagery and unflinching honesty, this collection explores the fragile space between what we are told to be and what we become. Each poem echoes with the quiet tension of growing up—classroom walls, fleeting glances, private doubts, and the loud silence of wanting to be understood.

With language that is both intimate and universal, Ludke turns the ordinary into the unforgettable, showing us that every "third period"—whether in school, in life, or in love—is a lesson about resilience, heartbreak, and the beauty of imperfection.