Short-Term Lease
by Opal Hart
· 15/01/2026
Published 15/01/2026 17:12
My knee made the sound of a dry branch
snapping under a boot.
I stood up and saw a shape in the glass—
thick shoulders, a heavy tilt of the head.
I didn't recognize the person
wearing my favorite sweater.
I looked at my hand.
The veins are branching out,
a blue map of a country
I haven't visited yet.
I’m just staying here for a while.
I hope I leave the keys under the mat.