Counting the emanations

His emanation was at least five emanations away from the main emanation;
Someone had counted; someone else had counted twice;
But how many emanations had he left before he departed entirely from their field of vision,
From their plane of compresence and suffering?
That was hard to tell.
Could be four; could be eighteen;
It could that he had passed the maximum already;
Or the minimum;
Either way it would be rather disappointing for his supporters—
That hardy clutch of doves and drones, drunks and chronic bores—
For they had been expecting him to be nearing the end around tea time;
They had been told that that was how it was going to work out in the long run;
Who had told them that?
Unclear. 
Wouldn’t have been him;
Couldn’t have been him;
As we have said he was at least five emanations away from the main emanation.
At least five; and it was perfectly possible that he was many more.

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H. Mark Webster’s previous publishing credits include work in Anastamoo, elimae, Poems Niederngasse, Lotus Eater Magazine, Blackmail Press, printout, otoliths, Milly Magazine, and the chapbooks A Life without Touching (2021) and Offshore (2023). He currently lectures in intercultural communication and language at UCOL | Te Pūkenga in Palmerston North and runs the blog Slops in his spare time.