"The Experiment" was first published in the UK in The Purple Hours; it was published in the US by Raw Bone in 1986 and is also included in Gerald England's collection Stealing Kisses.
Gerald England is a British poet, living on the edge of the Pennines with his lace-making wife, a son and a Manchester terrier. He has been active on the small press scene for over 27 years and edits New Hope International. He has published ten collections of poetry and been translated into several languages. His work has also appeared on various websites and he is a member of Cyberscribers, a group of writers on the Internet.
Dark Planet is designed and edited by Lucy A. Snyder. If you spot any errors, or if you have any comments, please contact her at lusnyde@cyberus.ca.
All materials copyright 1996-1997 by their respective creators. No stories, articles, poems or images from this webzine may be posted or published without the written consent of their creator(s).
The Experiment
by Gerald England
The experiment
was conceived
out of two minds
not as a game
like chess
to give further excitement
exactness
two minds
so tuned together
they gave birth
to a single thought of death
And when one died
the other knew
not only the thoughts
of the dying
but for just a moment,
after the heart stopped,
before the blood of the brain
congealed,
the first telepathed thoughts
from beyond the point of death.
For a long time
he did not stir.
Did not
then
speak
but before he went
into the sleep that became
nonrecovering coma
he left two scribbled sheets,
the result of the experiment,
the sight of infinity.
She knew the content of the notes
even before they were removed
to her handbag.
Some weeks later a car
crashed on the motorway
the driver having fallen asleep at the wheel.
Some charred pieces of paper were found
in the burnt-out wreckage.
There was a half-smile on her face.