The poems in Teeth Have a Hardness of Scale 5  use found language drawn from the Simon and Sue Lilly’s Essential Guide to Crystals to haze the boundary between the animate, social world of humans and the inanimate insinuation of rock. Scientific discourse splits the lyric presence of these poems, and chisels experience with percussive tools meant for other types of hardiness. This poetry blushes, then obtains crystal-like transparency. These poems refract light.

Jennifer MacBain-Stephens lives in the Midwest and is the author of four full length poetry collections: Your Best Asset is a White Lace Dress, (Yellow Chair Press, 2016), The Messenger is Already Dead, (Stalking Horse Press, 2017,) We’re Going to Need a Higher Fence, tied for first place in the 2017 Lit Fest Book Competition, and The Vitamix and the Murder of Crows, is recently out from Apocalypse Party. Work has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. Recent work can be seen at or is forthcoming from The Pinch, Black Lawrence Press, Quiddity, Prelude, Cleaver, Yalobusha Review, Zone 3, and Grist.