Missing Heaven
In heaven, I will miss
fried chicken, cherry pie, chocolate almond
ice cream, caramel candy, Coke.
In heaven, I will miss
the simple pleasure of pages turning in my hands,
the musty smell of books, the words shimmering.
In heaven, I will miss
the fragrance of fallen earth drinking rain,
the susurrus sweeping grace of this blessing.
In heaven, I will miss
the plummet of plump pheasants
thrumming air, threshing wind into flight.
In heaven, I will miss
pigeons sweeping widening spirals,
longing for, then wending home.
In heaven, I will miss
the death of leaves bleeding
rainbows in crisp, cool air.
In heaven, I will miss
the velvet softness of snow underfoot,
sunlight reflecting bright silence.
In heaven, I will miss
grey skies, gaunt trees gilded
silver, evenings crystalline still.
In heaven, I will miss
her supple, sweet flesh under mine,
the arch of her back, passion's pounding pulse,
the breath of life drawn deep.
In heaven, I will miss
the smell of a newborn child in my arms,
trembling and warm against my breast.
In heaven, I will miss
tears hot on my cheek, salty on my lips,
tears of loss and longing and looking back.
In heaven, I will miss
all that hell left behind.
--Bill Stifler, © 2014. published April 2020, Verse-Virtual