Never to Heaven

May my eyes always stay level to the horizon

may they never gaze as high as heaven

to ask why

The whys in this lifetime i’ve found

are inconsequential compared to the magic of the nowness

which is the solution to most questions

there are no reasons

and if there are, i’m wrong.

But at least i won’t have spent my life waiting

looking for god in the clouds of the dawn

listening out for otherworldly contact

30 billion light years on

No I’ll let the others do the pondering

and while they do i’ll be on my lawn

reading something unsubstantial with the television on

i’ll be up early to rise though of course-

but only to make you a pot of coffee

That’s what i was thinking this morning Joe-

that it’s times like this

as the marine layer lifts

off the sea from the view of our favorite restaurant

that i pray that i may always keep my eyes level to your

eye line

never downcast at the table cloth

too nervous to share my innermost thoughts

with you

You see Joe

it’s times like this as the marine layer lifts

off the sea on the dock where we’re standing

that i think to myself

there’s things you still don’t know about me

like sometimes i’m afraid my sadness is too big

and that one day you might have to help me handle it

but until then-

May i always keep my eyes level to this skyline

assessing the glittering new development

off the coast of Long Beach

never to heaven

Because i have faith in man as strange as that seems

in times like these

and it’s not just because of the warmth i’ve found in your

brown eyes-

it’s because I believe in the goodness in me

that it’s firm enough to plant a flag in

or a rosebud

or to build a new life.

Never to Heaven