Jennifer Hill-Kaucher

Zest

Not aware yet of how to fly, she cuts the end
of lemon—a citrus sting to healing wound on
her finger. Life is not like this, she thinks as ticks
drip from the clock. Each slice wheels into forever,
wagons from the west, sets in the east. Who cares what
the scent of Florida leaves on the skin, shirred flakes
to lick off and store on the tongue’s great memory.
Curls of sun pile on the counter underhand
as if she pulled apart several rows of noon sky
just to see how time slides between ordinary
and remarkable—the shadow of the knife’s blade
waning, waxing, waning the slivers of her wings.

Jennifer Hill-Kaucher is the author of four books of poetry: Questioning Walls Open, from FootHills Publishing in 2001, Nightcrown, a crown of sonnets in a limited edition lotus book in 2003, Book of Days, from FootHills Publishing, 2005 and A Proper Dress, 2006. A Pennsylvania Council on the Arts roster poet, Jennifer conducts poetry workshops and residencies throughout the state and recently in Ireland.

Her poems have appeared in Lilies and Cannonballs Review, right hand pointing, Yarrow, Curious Rooms, The Northwest Florida Review, Other Voices Canada, Hedge Apple, and Poetry Review Salzburg Austria, as well as in the anthologies In the Arms of Words, from FootHills and Sherman Asher, and In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare, from University of Iowa Press. She is editor of Paper Kite Press and owner of Wordpainting, a studio devoted to creativity.