Michael Cadnum is the author of thirty-seven books, including the National Book Award finalist The Book of the Lion.  Several of Cadnum's books have been released as audio books by Audible, and Open Road has published e-book editions of many of his classic thrillers.  His most recent books are Earthquake Murder:  short fiction, and a book of animal poetry titled Kingdom.  He lives in Albany, California.

Follow him on Twitter @MichaelCadnum.

Now available--my animal poems in one volume. 

 https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-poetry-Michael-Cadnum/dp/1717398391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536152193&sr=8-1&keywords=kingdom+cadnum&dpID=41Z0JEHFWhL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

In the Kitchen

The shelves are heavy with

pepper corns and bay leaves--

when you breathe you take in

a world. Apricots and peaches rest

serene in their glass jars--

you can see the small umber

scars where the jays pecked

and tasted and were

driven away some afternoon

many months past.

Or perhaps years ago--once a harvest

arrives in this quiet

sanctuary it will endure.

Even your hunger holds off--

your desire to take

and drink down the amber

cider and taste what you know will prove

pungent cloves and fiery ginger.

Salt nearly overflows, and sugar

blushes golden in its bowl.

Cinnamon bark uncoils from its stems,

fragrance giving itself away,

and garlic unhusks

essence on the windowsill where

the shadow of leaves

almost moves in the sunlight,

and the day almost stops lasting forever.

In the Kitchen appeared in Blue Unicorn

I'll post a new poem in this space soon.