Jane Blanchard studied English at Wake Forest University before earning a doctorate from Rutgers University. She currently lives and writes in Georgia.
Her work has appeared in dozens of journals, magazines, and anthologies, in print or online. She has two collections, Unloosed and Tides & Currents, both through Kelsay Books.
in Sicilia
The merchant was polite as I came in
on Monday afternoon to browse for wine,
but conversation happened only when
we spoke the common language of the vine.
A dozen bottles were selected, then
examined, labels studied, line by line,
at last set back into the proper bin,
except for one most likely to taste fine.
It did, so I returned to that same store
throughout the week and found the bill to be
a little less each time. I said no more
than grazie, smiling ever pleasantly.
By Saturday, I had a patron’s status,
awarding me a bar of chocolate gratis.
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Poetry in this post: © Jane Blanchard
Published with the permission of Jane Blanchard