philomene long | stuart perkoff's last words

Broctman’s Memorial Hospital
June 24, 1974
Stuart Z. Perkoff & Philomene Long

Philomene: (strokes Stuart’s forehead, brushing his eyebrows)
Stuart: They’re worth more after the death.
Philomene: What is the pain teaching you?
Stuart: To obey. What do you think happens at the dying?
Philomene: It looks like light. It feels like love.
Stuart: What do you think happens after they dying?
Philomene: It is all right, no matter what the condition.

Stuart asks Philomene to bring a tape recorder to the hospital saying he “had a poem in him.” The following is a transcript of his final hour. Continue reading philomene long | stuart perkoff's last words