Thank you so much for hosting me today! What a great
site! So, when you asked me about poetry one of my poems popped into my mind
immediately. I am a Hospice
Vigil volunteer, as well as an author. Most people find what I do either heroic
or morbid, sitting with a patient in their final hours on earth. I can tell you
it’s neither. Sitting with a patient, whether terrified or accepting of their
fate, is as precious as watching a child come into the world. Maybe even more
so, because you’re watching a warrior lay down their weapons and surrender to
peace. Someone that has live their life, to the best of their ability, as
oppose to someone entering the world, full of possibilities and no experiences
yet. That’s as close as I can describe it, except to say it’s humbling. I was
asked to write a poem about it for our volunteer newsletter a few years ago, so
I thought I’d share that one.
***
EVEN
ME
by
Jeny Heckman
The
chamber is hushed, and my voice is still, as a candle flame dance and quivers,
to push away the approaching chill.
You
tell me your name and draw a chair, then lift my weakened hand. A humble
witness to my final prodigious stand.
You
speak to me in murmurs, and read to me so sweet, I face this unknown stronger
and feel Gods touch upon my cheek.
Most think
I cannot hear them, it’s like I’m already gone. I may not have all my senses
anymore, but sound has grown quite strong.
Eternity
says it’s coming, as fear and discomfort appear to fade. You whisper your
blessings upon me, and through the forest, I know the glade.
My
thoughts are declining now, and my strength has almost gone. You tell me to let
go and I see where I belong.
My
inhalations grow ragged, each breath more precious and dear. I receive your
love and compassion and know that it’s sincere.
Some
will dispute this path to witness and to pray. To escort a perfect stranger
home on their last venerated day.
I feel
so privileged that you’re here, as I linger at Heaven’s door, even though you
said to me, “The honor is entirely yours.”
Do you
genuinely understand how it makes me feel, that I’m not so all alone? My
family’s exhausted, the staff is working, as my body rests here prone.
To
those unsure if they should join your cause and if they will be all right, or
if they might struggle with one approaching the Blessed light.
The
words I declare to you now are a pure and ardent plea. Your heart and presence
are enough, and so exquisite for me to see.
For
everyone who lives deserves to die with some dignity. Yes, valuable one… even
me.
***
Yes, a little more somber then your normal
poem, but I also hope it gave you a different perspective. After, sitting with
many people over the years, I’ve come to two conclusions…1) It’s a true honor
and blessing and 2) God exists. I’ve seen way too many unexplained things to
say otherwise.Live passionately and thanks for having me on today!
The Warrior’s Progeny
The Heaven and Earth Series
Book Two
Jeny Heckman
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: 07/27/2020
ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-5092-3219-2
ISBN (Digital): 978-1-5092-3220-8
ASIN: B089PZQJ34
Number of pages: 424
Word Count: 102,620
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Tagline: If love dies, can it be reborn…only stronger?
Book Description:
Colton Stone is a newly traded tight end whose reputation is as battered as his football helmet. When he receives a vacation invitation from his new teammates, he accepts. There he collides with Dr. Lillian Morgan, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, and doesn't know what to think.
A widow with two children, Lilly is looking forward to her friends' wedding. When she meets Colton Stone, his arrogant attitude only makes her long for the love she took for granted. Lilly struggles between letting go of her perfect past for an uncertain future.
Strange events occur, out of the realm of normal consciousness. When black energy touches their world Colt and Lilly become the pawns of the immortal Greek gods. Is the love developing between them natural, or part of a larger prophecy?
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/zy5nbMGQoCg
EXCERPT
1: (244 words)
Colt’s body
temperature heated until his helmet, now that of a Trojan, melted and became
part of his skull. Painful, thick, fire plumes ignited from the sides of his
head and curved toward the sky, until they solidified in a solid line down the
middle of the helmet. Black snake-like smoke wafted up from the earth and
encircled his ankles and wrists, locking him into place.
The smoke turned
into bindings and massaged tentacles over his chest and phallus.
He looked over
at Lilly, who now knelt helpless as her skin became dusky, then turned a
brilliant shade of blue. However, the color became an iridescent hue that
reminded him of something just outside the confines of his mind. Her skin
bubbled, separated, and formed into thousands of compact hairs. Small points
protruded from her shoulders and down her arms until they freed themselves from
the surface of her skin, as she screamed. Several long, hollow shoots grew,
lengthening into the elegant, arching rods, as more buds sprouted from them and
turned into thready feathers. As the feathers lengthened, green and blue eyes
opened in intervals. At a screech of transformation, Lilly turned into a peacock,
whose tail plumed out in a perfect fan. A feathered diadem lifted from her
skull and the beautiful eyes all blinked at him. He wanted to mate with her,
devour her, possess her, and bellowed out an unearthly warrior battle cry.
Breaking his bonds, he charged at her.
About the Author:
Award-winning author, Jeny Heckman, was born in Bellingham, Washington, and was the youngest of two daughters. She met her husband, Jeff, in August 1992, and eloped three months later, at Magen’s Bay, on St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
She wrote her first book, the Catch, in a few short months but took several years before she gained the courage to self-publish it at her son’s urging, and her love for writing began.
In 2018, Jeny knew her next project would be a series that showed adults could have adventures in the paranormal-fantasy genre too. So, she created the Heaven & Earth series, a story of doomed Greek gods and their only salvation, their modern-day descendants. Her first book of the series, the Sea Archer, was immediately picked up by the New York publishing house, the Wild Rose Press, and won, “Best in Category” from the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards.
In the year 2020, Jeny released, Dancing Through Tears, a short story from the anthology, Australia Burns: Volume Two, highlighting the Route 91 massacre from the perspective of one family at the concert, and at Mandalay Bay. She also intends to release, the Warrior’s Progeny, and Dee’s Cornucopia, in 2020, continuing the Heaven & Earth Series.
Jeny lives in Washington State with her husband of over twenty-eight years.
Website: https://jenyheckman.com/
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Jeny-Heckman/e/B010PJ4IR6/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heckman.jeny
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenyheckman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenyheckman
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenyheckman17
YouTube: https://bit.ly/30vNfUI
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4 comments:
Thank you to Wenona for having me on your site today, what a privilege it is for me and I'm excited to be here!
Beautiful post and poem, Jeny. Continued best of luck.
Thank you, Barbara! I appreciate it!
amazing cover, I enjoyed the excerpt
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