Epiphany

Saying Goodbye

Part V

Epiphany

written by: Doug Stanfield (Hemmingplay)

@hemmingplay

I knew a guy,

cancer survivor,

but worn down by it

to the look of lacy bone.

A light shone through

his parchment skin

like a flame through

a mica shade,

like a mystical

organic fire.

The brush with death

leaves a calling card.

“I’ll be back” it says.
“You won’t know when.”

He knew what
it meant to nearly end.

It was an epiphany, of sorts.
But there was this

glow, as though

he had a mandate to

slap the shit

out of whatever

time was left.

As serious as
a heart
attack,

he wasn’t

afraid of

being forgotten,
just
of not being
worth
remembering.

It doesn’t have to be cancer.

Could be a stroke,

the kind of thing,

you try to explain,

to the lucky civilians with
combat metaphor:

“I could hear the whine of the bullet,

the ugly sound of it, like

something ruthless
hunting, hungry for a kill.”

Civilians. They’ll learn, soon enough.

You only know this

if you’ve heard the whine.

But it misses, now and then.

You realize
you’ve got bonus time,

but fear being forgotten;

you’ve wasted so much time.

But that fire licks at your feet…

You mean to slap the shit
out of untruths

in the time granted.

Make some noise.

Burn some rubber.

Make someone cry,
Make someone happy.

Be honest.

Be true.

Repent wasting
seconds of precious time.

You know not the hour or the day.

It’s an epiphany, of sorts,

hearing death whiz by.

It lights a manic fire.

But oh, for a time
you live sweeter,

cleaner,

in a holy light.

• About
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Doug Stanfield (Hemmingplay)

OCTOBER 2016 / JULY 2019 AUTHOR OF THE MONTH at Spillwords.com

“Hemmingplay,” is the pen name of Doug Stanfield, who grew up on a family farm in western Ohio, went with his parents for two years in Karachi, Pakistan, in high school and had lived, until recently, in Bellefonte, PA with his late wife, Wilda and their two sons, Ben and John. Doug was a writer, editor and director of internet communications at Penn State for 26 years. He has had a few disreputable occupations, including newspaper reporter and editor, and public relations flak, but is trying to make amends for his sins by writing poetry and fiction.
When his sons were safely off making their own mistakes, he turned on the computer one day, stared at the screen for what seemed a long time, and began to learn the craft anew at age 67.
Doug has published three books so far: "Mermaid Sisters: First Dive", a children's book on iTunes/iBook; "I Came From A Place of Fireflies" published as a paperback and Kindle on Amazon, and a new book of poetry, "Snowflakes & Ashes: Meditations on the Temporary”, available as both an ebook and as a paperback. (Gatekeeper Press) on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Ingram and Baker & Taylor, and a few others.)

Latest posts by Doug Stanfield (Hemmingplay) (see all)

• Epilogue - May 2, 2020
• A Morning - April 10, 2020
• Giving Back, Reluctantly - March 20, 2020