On Loan from the Sky – Phyllis Hemann

I possess
a lease agreement

40 some odd
pages

detailing

the story of my life
time as a heroine
on this planet.

No small print
only a straight
forward agreement

to bestow my talent
and treasure
to my fellow man

anointed
until my last breath
to instill my legend.

I’m at the point
in my contract
where I see my own
vulnerability.

Life roars by me,
a Ghost Rider blazing down
a deserted stretch of highway.

No amount of comic book
powers can halt the march
of days and stave off
the inevitable destination.

I retool my image
of heroic. Real
heroines don’t mess
around with cinematic
perfection.



Phyllis Hemann grew up reading and telling stories. As a child, she scribbled poems with crayons. Now she writes her own for children and adults. She holds a M.F.A. from Antioch University Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in newspapers, journals and anthologies. She is the author of THE INVISIBLE HEROINE (Finishing Line Press). She lives in Arkansas with her family and their goofy dog. Find her online @phyllishemann and phyllishemann.com.

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