I Since I was dead once (administered last rites in a deadly mine cave in 72)

I can speak with authority that when you die your life flashes before you like a run a way train .

Vignettes and scenes of right and wrong mirror the good and evil of ones life .

Without waxing the spiritual or the philosophical in a biblical sense these entry's into death or at least the bardo states tumble before you ,feeding life through you in a metaphysical state unknown and undocumented in normal or even subconscious states .

Most vignettes when dying are about t some decision you had choice over.

Some seem incredibly mundane, or childish but all had significance in great proportions

This is not a dream state that you are going to snore through .

Were you ever in a speeding car that you had no control over ? or a plane that was having trouble , or on a beautiful raft on a tranquil sea with soft winds ?

That’s the metaphor for the ride you are on and it seemed to last an eternity .

I came to buried alive a half mile underground with my two co workers dead and staring at me .

My eye socket and orbital cortex were blown away my femur was sticking through my pant leg and I was talking to the dead men as the other miners frantically dug and searched for us while digging from above .

When they broke through my crypt they lowered themselves down by rope and their headlamps filled my cavern like search lights .

One man vomited when they found me another hard faced miner cradled my head and washed my wounds with his canteen murmuring prayers ,"sweet Jesus be with this boy "and telling me to “stay with him “and not go to sleep “God dammit don't go to sleep "

A steel wire gurney was lowered down in the shape of a sarcophagus. Then one by one and hand over hand I was carried and lifted from miner to miner out of the dark and into the light in a procession as old as Osirus by a line of bare chested miners whispering prayers and words of encouragement

At the mines surface a priest had been called for and with Latin spoken my head was anointed with oil ,then without warning or words a sheet placed over my head.

My thoughts about this moment were more fearful than the accident itself .I was alone and no longer with my brothers Dying is easy the hard part is being alone ..

This last summer I was at the historic Presbyterian Church of Centerville(1700) mass on Cape Cod waiting for my sister and Peanut who was shaking down the minister for some bubble gum pops .

I was outside by the old graveyard admiring the massive slate tombstone of a one John Hinks who I was told was lost at sea .

These tombstones are huge slate slabs about 3 inches thick and if unearthed would be 8ft because for every foot above ground ,the old stone below was at least a third of that .

Cars were parked on the crooked grass lane to where I was standing and people to get to them had to pass my back so I didn't pay much attention when I felt something at my arm on that Sunday morning .

I turned and nothing was there ,.... ok I imagined it …

Then a few moments later while still engrossed with the headstone I felt a breath ,like when you are in a crowd and someone is at your back and you can't do anything except try and move out of the way .

So I again thought somebody was trying to pass so I quickly side stepped to one side hoping they would pass quickly …,, turning to see who it was I found nothing .

First I thought it was Peanut pulling her tricks on me but then i got it

, I was in the way ..in fact I was in somebody's spot,

Experience in working the tombs has taught me that ten fold .There are certain signs and bumps .Odd little things ; a missing trowel, a shovel moved .Bits of paper and string.

This time I gave in and marched a few yards up the lane to study other tombs when I saw her .

It was out of the corner of my eye but she was there plain as day wearing one of those 1800 ‘s long silk dresses in reds and blacks,lace at the neck and a set of small pearls under some lace .She just stood in those high button shoes and waited at the grave ….then disappeared …Happy Halloween Py