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Kristen Lindquist

Edible Flowers

When I was a kid, my grandmother trained nasturtiums to grow over an old overturned rowboat, and hummingbirds visited the masses of orange, yellow, and red blossoms all day long. I would spend hours by this garden, mesmerized by the birds’ perpetual motion and speed: the long bill’s quick dip into each flower, the constant blur and hum of wings, the zooming and high-pitched squeals of their territorial skirmishes. Once a fat fledgling bumbled into my hands. My grandmother boasted to everyone that I had caught a hummingbird.

summer stars
the taste of pepper
on my tongue

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About the Author

Kristen Lindquist is a poet, writer, and naturalist in Camden, Maine. She has published two collections of poetry and maintains a daily haiku blog at kristenlindquist.com/blog.