An Atheist Dreams of an Afterlife (Draft, 1st)

 

When we die
oh when we die
a death of pain & hope
         there will be pain as long as we stay
         there will be hope as long as we stay

         in that area in which our dreams were staged

         pain so long as we dwell
         in the error of our hearts

           pain pain that dwells in hope
           of what beckoned before
           and beckons anew as each death
           and each birth draws onward.

That is a dream of limbo/purgatory
hope that is a comfort for hope of heaven.

When you die
oh when you die
a death for these lives
oh Johnny Death, mass murderer
whose victims are these that attack in the backlight?
whose lives of creativity are these uncreated ?
whose revolution was unheard?

and for  whom these           undead,  soul collectors
                                                   to drag our failed ventures
                                                   and unlives to the scrapheap

and yes,  they are                                            = spaceship people
                                                    = up above, searching,
searching

And Johnny, afraid of this final resolution
our victims attack in the spirit of retribution
awakened to our presence in the dreaming heart
what choice have we?

In order to move on to this newer life
we must deed these --
one each for lives  we never lived
and atonements --
one each for transgressions,
one each for being still
when a moving was required.

And Johnny,  purgatory is our unknown,
in the comfort zones
that are our pain and ignorance of pain
we cheat the system, con the man
but as each is king of his unworld,
and as each must dodge these undead
soul collectors to retain

...some small hope
for us all, this is heaven...

This is heaven on earth

and you are

                         = Up above us, searching searching

4 June 1997


©1997, 2000, by James A. Gardner

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