P.C. Scheponik

Vigil

The bleed began as a small red star,
a miniscule Mars on the glossy white horizon
of the ocular orb, far from the Neptune blue
rings of the iris, even farther from the black hole
of the pupil that swallows light, exporting it
through retinal wormholes into the galaxy 
of consciousness and the nebula of subconscious
dreams.
It seemed, at first, an insignificant thing until it grew
into a small red sea, divided in the middle by a
corneal path, then began again until more than half
the eye was stained the color of lamb’s blood as if
to proclaim a life vs. death scenario while I kept
silent vigil like one waiting, praying for escape.

P.C. Scheponik is a lifelong poet who lives by the sea with his wife, Shirley, and their shizon, Bella. His writing celebrates nature, the human condition, and the metaphysical mysteries of life. He has published five collections of poems: His work has appeared in numerous literary journals. He was a finalist in Adelaide Anthology Contest 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. A 2019 Pushcart Prize nominee, his sixth collection, Seeing, Believing, and Other Things, was published in 2021.