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Five Dappled Things

A weave of twigs
upon the ground;
five eggs, cream white,
flecked with gray.

An ark dislodged
—a callous jay
or heartless wind—
the nest set down.

A slant of sun,
an ark of twigs.
a future vanishing.
Five dappled things

upon the ground.

.

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Leland James is the author of six poetry collections and five children’s books in verse. He has published over 300 poems in venues worldwide, including The Lyric, Rattle, and London Magazine. He has received over a dozen international poetry awards, been featured in American Life in Poetry, Poetry Foundation, and was nominated for a Push Cart Prize. He also writes award-winning fiction. His novel, EnWorld, An Encapsulated Future, published by River Grove Books, was released on June 28, 2025. lelandjames.com 

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2 Responses

  1. Martin Briggs

    I love this, Leland. Despite its brevity it repays repeated readings. It’s concise, controlled, and ultimately moving; a perfect distillation which forces the reader to confront the tragedy of an everyday event in the natural world. True poetry.

    Reply
  2. Cynthia L Erlandson

    I really like this. It’s a masterpiece of concise description with a subtle meaning behind it.

    Reply

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