Heaven, Seriously?

by Mel Glenn (Brooklyn, NY)

We Jews are a bit vague when asked
about the actual parameters of heaven.
Many believe the souls of the righteous
go directly to a place similar to heaven,
or will be resurrected when the Messiah comes.
The Torah provides little expansion on the topic,
but bound as I am by earthly existence
I’d like some geographical reference points.
Is an after-life someplace west of the moon,
catty-corner to the Milky Way?
Should it not come equipped
with a signpost or a GPS?
I have trouble accepting
this life is but a mere foyer
to the Grand Ballroom of heaven,
believing instead that dancing
is to be encouraged terrestrially,
with feet grounded in the here and now.
Would that I had the comfort of knowing
where my soul will pirouette past time,
given the lack of clear and present instruction.

The author of twelve books for young adults, Mel Glenn has lived nearly all his life in Brooklyn, NY, where he taught English at A. Lincoln High School for thirty-one years. Lately, he’s been writing poetry, and you can find his most recent poems in the YA anthology, This Family Is Driving Me Crazy, edited by M. Jerry Weiss.

If you’d like to learn more about his work, visit: http://www.melglenn.com/