Eight leaves on
a car hood,
stamped into place
by the rain.
Tree partly turning,
part of the land-
scape, but distinguished
by its grace.
We stood around,
waiting for permission
to entertain the
idea of leaving.
We had no
loyalty to the
myth.
James Shea is the author of Star in the Eye and a forthcoming poetry collection, The Lost Novel, from Fence Books. He is currently a visiting Fulbright Scholar in the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing at Hong Kong Baptist University.
