The lightly bearded boy
ambles a dusty Jakarta street,
S-O-U-L-D-I-E-R splayed
from blade to blade back on his tee
as if to insure the shirt is arrayed
appropriately ‘cause
spelling doesn’t count.
Was it remaindered
to him with a V sign?
Or an upturned thumb?
Or a laugh?
Or does he care less
for the labels he wears
than for the price
of seconds?
He strolls shamelessly
without camouflage
save the u
inviting me
to follow.
James Penha: A native New Yorker, James Penha has lived for the past quarter-century in Indonesia. He has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes in fiction and in poetry. His essay “It’s Been a Long Time Coming” was featured in The New York Times “Modern Love” column in April 2016. Penha edits TheNewVerse.News, an online journal of current-events poetry. @JamesPenha.
A Quiet Courage 