Exploring The Afterlife (Poetry)

‘We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the
garden’ Woodstock — Joni Mitchell

I wonder sometimes — did you get to Heaven’s gate all right
or did you somehow find yourself diverted on the way
some detour that attracted — signs that tempted big and bright
and you thought you’d chance however-long’s delay?

There’s surely no great hurry once the clock has ceased to tick
and the world’s departure board is out of sight and mind
and you’re on a one-way journey, be it slow or be it quick
there’s no measure what’s ahead or lies behind

I like to dream God has a steam train like the Orient Express
and all the goodly souls on board are heaven-bound
while the journey’s passing pleasant to their everlasting rest
they might stop off at whim — have one last look around

My imagination sees a million stations on that line
strung through a limboland you might like to explore
for Death’s the big adventure with a limitless design
the inquisitive might roam forevermore

And I wonder if an angel gives each traveller a guide
so he won’t get lost or stray too far from the track
though the scale can have no measure where infinity spreads wide
the destination pulls the roving spirit back

So, on balance I’m quite certain you got there in the end
and that Heaven’s some stupendous Shangri-la
plus everything they promised you, my lightly-earthed old friend
proved true upon return to your home star