Send up to three poems on the subject of or at least mentioning the words hell and/or heaven, totaling up to 150 lines in length including stanza breaks, in the body of an email message or attached in a Word file to donkingfishercampbell@gmail.com by 11:59 PM PDT on September 22nd. No PDF's please. Color and B&W artwork are also desired. Please send in JPG form. No late submissions accepted. Poets and artists published in Four Feathers Press Online Edition: Hell or Heaven will be published online and invited to read at the Saturday Afternoon Poetry Zoom meeting on Saturday, September 23rd between 3 and 5 pm PST.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Mary Mayer Shapiro

Afterlife 


When it began 

G-d created Heaven and Earth 

Conflated with idea of paradise and eternal salvation 

Or a state of mind 

Environment of peace 

Love of fellow man 

Where did G-d come from 

Where did G-d dwell before this 

If Heaven is a place of bliss ecstasy utopia 

Then Earth must be Hell 

If the garden of Eden was paradise 

And Adam and Eve question their presence 

Were forced to leave 

Then paradise was moved skyward 

Therefore Earth must be Hell 

Heaven must be in the milky Way Galaxy 

A celestial heaven 

With upper atmosphere of moons stars planets 

A voyage in the sky 

Does the North star point the way 

Does Orion protect the souls going towards the pearly gates 

Does Sirius shine bright show the way 

Does the Big and Little Dippers show the path 

And Altair, the flying eagle help direct the trail 

Perhaps it is on top of a bean stalk 

Where the golden harp lives 

You reach the stairs leading to the Pearly Gates 

Repenting each step along the way 

When you reach the top step 

Hoping to get in 

You are given a form to fill out 

An application 

A form to fill out 

A rental agreement 

Regulation and a resume 

All included 

Heat electricity internet cable 

St. Peter assisted by angles open the doors 

You walk in 

One big house for everyone 

This is spiritual 

Is this what you expected 






your own heaven

Heaven is a state of mind
Your create your own promise land
You live the life you want
If you could
Be it hermit social or 
Inbetween
You come to peace with yourself
Doing what you wan
Living your life as you want
But remember 
When you make plans





Are you living in hell

Volcanos erupts
Lava spilling all over
Leaving trails of hot molten lava
Burning everything in its path
At first you feel you are in purgatory
Limbo between heaven and hell
You ask forgiveness
For you sins and evil doings
Redemption
Absolution exoneration pardon
Pleading begging you will change your ways
Miracle upon miracle
You escape the searing lava
You live through
Hell on Earth
Did you mean what you said
Will you change your ways

No comments:

Post a Comment

Lorelei Kay

Banning the Bean Dashing home after third grade, I pushed aside our heavy front door and ran inside hollering, “Mom, I’m…” when the od...