Leland James
&More--Jan/Feb 2015
ADAMS MOUNTAIN
Leland James
I gather in from this high place,
Adams Mountain,
my shadow sprawled across
shivers of stone.
Dusk drifts down, a shroud
upon the rusk brown earth below,
autumn colors fading,
chimneys sending smoke up from the valley,
like prayers rising.
I gather in.
I see myself as from a far-off orchard,
a serpent’s view.
My shadow turns to jagged lines
upon this stone.
I accuse myself and seek a new
beginning, waiting to see a star, the first,
always having a little of Bethlehem’s
forgiving light.
Leland James, nominated in 2014 for the Pushcart Prize, is the author of three books of poetry and has been published worldwide in over fifty journals and magazines, including, The South Carolina Review; The Spoon River Poetry Review; The Atlanta Review; New Millennium Writings; and The London Magazine. He has won or received honors in numerous international poetry competitions, including the Fish International, The London Magazine, Morton Marr, The Southwest Review; and the Bridport Prize. www.lelandjamespoet.com