Synkroniciti is delighted to welcome back midwestern poet Jeannie E. Roberts, who debuted with us in our fifth issue, Labyrinth back in 2020. For Audacity she brings us “Why Not Distill Perfume? ,” a poem about resilience and resisting the audacity of human selfishness and cruelty.
“When the jagged heels/ of hubris flatten joy/ why not distill perfume?”
The unfortunate truth is that when people behave badly, those around them often feel it—absorbing harm, internalizing the shadows of someone else’s choices. Jeannie asks what might happen if we resisted this reflex, if we turned our attention instead toward wonder and joy. She isn’t asking us to turn the other cheek; she’s asking us to consider the power of holding on to what is good, fragrant, and life‑giving.
Her metaphors draw deeply from the natural world, suggesting that the enchantment missing from modern life still waits for us there, beyond the noise and busyness humanity has created. This is an elegant poem in its simplicity—deceptively difficult to craft, and all the more striking for its clarity.
Read “Why Not Distill Perfume” in Synkroniciti’s Audacity issue, Vol. 8, No. 1, available here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Jeannie E. Roberts writes poetry and prose influenced by memory, the human experience, and the natural world. The author of nine books, her latest full-length poetry collection is titled On a Clear Night, I Can Hear My Body Sing (Kelsay Books, 2025). Since 2018, she has served as a poetry editor for the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs.
An award-winning artist and poet as well as an Eric Hoffer and a multiple Best of the Net award nominee, she holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts degree. She is a former teacher, systems trainer, arts administrator, entrepreneur, talent manager, print and runway model who finds joy spending time outdoors and with loved ones.