"Summer of Death or Enchantment"
By Lani Hankins
It is the 4th of July
Two of us sit alone in this tower
now shrouded by the heaviness of night.
Th darkness wraps itself around us,
consuming the land that has been burned
into our memory.
But this night is different.
There is a glimmer in the distance.
Movement casts a shadow upon
the horizon and along the foothills.
Just as the sun was devoured by the
sharp peaks the field before us erupted in light
and fires sprang up throughout
those shadows of the night.
Specks of yellow and orange and red
raining down upon the barren land.
Either this is a hallucination, or it is
a silent light show orchestrated by
those who are no stranger to the dark.
I do not know whether I should be mesmerized,
or if I should confess my sins
before this field of fire calls forward
a pale horse.
Lani Hankins is a former Army female engagement team member and a veteran of Afghanistan. Follow her here. Listen to the Savage Wonder episode with her here.
She blogs and podcasts at Kruse Corner.
Bunny: Poems About Surviving Military Life by Lani Hankins
Bottled Away: Confessions of a Struggling Veteran by Lani Hankins
The Gaslit Heart: A Story of Service and Survival by Lani Hankins
Eased Pain: Poems About Surviving Domestic Violence by Lani Hankins
What’s happening at VetRep…
Listen to our interview this week with Scott Cottrell on the Savage Wonder Podcast.
VetRep is thrilled to present “God of Carnage” by Yazmina Reza for the month of September. A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters.
Tickets have been selling out, reserve yours early before they’re gone!
We are currently offering multiple dates for our online and in-person Playwriting for Veterans classes, and our Acting for Beginners class is now being offered weekly every Saturday from 10am-12pm. Scholarships for qualifying veterans, as well as multi-class passes are available. Registration details can be found here.