Lilah Hegnauer
Orange, the juice, the rind, the pulp;
sunrise from Mamquam Mountain before
the descent. Pit fire on Holy Saturday.
Mango flesh. Fox fur. Crayons and
their paper, koi in the pond, poppies
on medians. Begonia, cosmos, marigold
around tomatoes (to keep the bugs away).
Apricot brandy in a crackling glass,
peach schnapps at college parties,
nasturtium, zinnia, sneezeweed on the
Ozwegatchie. Sweat-worn wallet,
polished orangewood, curls off the lathe.
Cheddar, egg yolks, wet henna.
Split orange lentils, soviet flag;
all things dyed, grown, saffron in
burlap bags in Morocco. Carrots, curry,
sweet potato pie. Van Gogh oranges,
Rothko and Rothko and Rothko.
The Agent and its children and their children.
Monarchs, and astronauts, and starfish,
zebra finches, pumpkins, salmon caviar.
Justice fetishes, suns pulsing orange.
Lilah Hegnauer’s Dark Under Kiganda Stars was published by Ausable Press in 2005 and was an honorable mention for the 2007 Library of Virginia Literary Award. She has an MFA from the University of Virginia and her poems have been published in Kenyon Review, St. Ann’s Review, Orion, The Drunken Boat, and So to Speak. She was runner up for the 2007 Astraea Lesbian Writers Award and lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she is the poetry editor of Meridian.