My friend and fellow UNL alum Hadara Bar-Nadav's new collection of poems is now alive and conquering. It's called A Glass of Milk to Kiss Goodnight.

If you don't already know her work, here is an example of why you should go buy a copy of this book for yourself and another copy for each of your friends, family members, and acquaintances. This particular poem was first published here at OSU, in The Journal 29.2 (2005).

[NOTE: Thanks to my brother, I have corrected the formating problems.]

NIGHT WITH WINGS

A fairy drowning
        in a glass of milk
                    and a chandelier
        posing as the god

of diamond earrings:
        translucent,
                    dangling,
        indifferent.

I’ve touched
        the fairy’s skirt,
                    felt the pink
        silk thrill and

gauze of it with my hands.
        (How I envy
                    the cat at the bowl,
        rapid white mouthfuls.)

The three old women
        in The Conversation Club
                    won’t help us.
        So near death

in pointy hats and scarves,
        it may as well be Tuesday,
                    the mailman, or any
        ordinary glass of milk.

I’m delighted when
        the milk fairy rises,
                    a minikin woman shaking
        the dampness from her wings.

Late for her date
        at the palace of Versailles
                    she rushes the heavenly ballroom
        of glass and garish glitter.

The chandelier opens and closes
        its claw of merciless light.
                    Alas, I only have my glass
        of milk to kiss goodnight.