At heaven's gate

At heaven’s gate                                                                                             
 
Two souls stood at heaven’s gate,
the first ordered by an angel
 
to descend immediately and reincarnate.
I know that man, said the remaining soul.
 
The most devout man I’ve ever known.
Why was he turned away?  
 
Attachment, the angel replied.
He lived on the street, said the man, 
 
his days spent in prayer.  
Begged for his food.  Owned little
 
more than the clothes on his back.
Filth and rags, replied the angel.  
 
Bewildered, the man said nothing.
His attachment was to filth and rags,
 
to his empty belly, his image
in the eyes of others, to his ideas
 
of what is worthy and what is worthless.
And you, sir, continued the angel,
 
have reached this same critical height. 
What have you done to earn God’s grace? 
 
The man lowered his eyes and did not speak.
Enter paradise, said the angel, swinging wide the gate.
 
O child of God, when you think you’ve got it figured out,
be sure you do not have it figured out.
 
                              (from Spoken For, 2014)