Marc Nair (b. 1981)
SELECTED POEMS
The Secret Lives of Leaves
each leaf has a different part of the story:
one colours the world from green to brown to brittle
another speaks to a broken winged bird in quiet feelingone spikes on earthworms and the clarity of rot
another grieves with the strength of coming death
there are those who will fall like soldiers onto roadsand clearings, softening the steps of paasers-by, still
others stay to catch sunbeams with the tips of their voices
one or two curl into their memories and crumble awayas memory sieves through the singing xylem
their stories are told in the sighing quiet of night
where breathing is all that needs to be done...
by Marc Nair
from Along the Yellow Line (2007)
