The click
the swirl
the sniff
the twist

The olive
the onion
the toast
the sip

The swish of hips
the purse of lips
the hand on the waist
the grin

The glance
the linger
the heat
the scent

the breath
the sigh
the kiss.

Ann Bracken’s memoir in verse, The Altar of Innocence, was released in 2015 by New Academia Publishing. Her poetry, essays, and interviews have appeared in anthologies and journals, including Little Patuxent Review, New Verse News, Scribble, Reckless Writing Anthology: Emerging Poets of the 21st Century, and Women Write Resistance: Poets Resist Gender Violence. Ann serves as a contributing editor for Little Patuxent Review and leads poetry and arts-based workshops for creativity conferences, book clubs, and writing groups.