as he-Matthais-lay
lay quietly
restlessly
waiting
waiting for death
he wondered
what heaven would be like.
/
Then he lay still
and tried,
tried to think
of younger days
days gone past
of what he-Matthais-
wanted
heaven to be like.
/
then it
came.
it came.
/
that with which
cliches
describe as
"life... flashing...
before... me... "
/
flashing.
/
No.
that feeling of it all
coming full circle
of it all
making sense.
/
Then he-Matthais-he,
in the soft darkness
smelt first
smelt first the sweetness
of freshly-cut grass.
/
and felt its dewey blades
tickle his bare feet.
/
felt them, them, behind him
gazing at him
full of love.
still there
still in his bed
dying.
/
but oh, so wondrous
oh, so everywhere.
it was everything he wanted
everything he had dreamt
indeed, it was a dream
for each man dreams his own heaven.
/
it stretched
stretched
into God
into eternity.
