shot glass
title
"... brevity is the soul of wit ..."
- William Shakespeare

Bio


Jeni Curtis is a writer from Christchurch/ Otautahi, New Zealand, with poetry in various publications including takahē, NZPS anthologies 2014 to 2020, Landfall, Atlanta Review, The London Grip, Shot Glass Journal and the Poetry NZ Yearbook. She was featured poet in the 1919 summer issue of a fine line. Her poem "come autumn" was shortlisted for the Pushcart Prize 2020. She is secretary of the Canterbury Poets Collective, and co-editor of poetry for takahē.


Jeni Curtis


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kingfishers

they smoothed my hair onceyour hands
spotted as if flies say their prayers
walking along the blue ridges of veins

your handsonce busied with the click of needles
clotted now in your lapfingers
tangled in mute supplication
in Egypt the flood comes no more
no deluge to silt the fieldsfeluccas sail
in broad waterswhere crocodiles
once swam with godlike grace

should I remind you that you saw themthere
the black and white birdsdiving for fish
you look at meturn the pagessay
but kingfishers are blue