James Champion

Leaf Between

for Riki

I’m walking with you and without you.
The between follows us, a wild glimmer. The sky,
too, wanders whitely through
the birch trees like an abandoned thought.

Then, it’s as if the geese overhead said, “Oh,
a meadow,” and let one fall feathery from their wings,
golden and rippling. This meadow, this is the meadow I
imagine you in. Wide

grin hung twirling…you decorate it,
so I want to decorate you, meadow
that you are. Your body so bright, so un-wreathed
that at night you disturb my stillness. Well,

I want you

like a lake wants
an oranged, softened maple leaf
to touch its surface, and feel beyond it, like you do

and will do. This little flame, flickering in all directions.

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James Champion (he/him/his) is from Whitehall, Michigan. He has a bad habit of looking only at his shoes as he walks place to place, but this makes arrival (and the sky) a constant surprise. You can find him online at @jameslchampion on Instagram or Twitter.