Joy Poem by Suzanne Hayasaki

Can you feel it?
The earth is tilting her face towards her man.
The mornings are a little bit warmer.
The afternoons are a little bit brighter.
The sky is a little bit higher, bluer, more optimistic.
The clouds are whiter, fluffier, almost boisterous.
Even the moon looks a little bit bigger, magnified by joy!

Can you hear it?
The breeze sounds a little bit more cheerful.
The birds sing a little bit more melodically.
The frogs are communing in a Hallelujah Chorus of Hope.
Handel in ribbits!
Christmas in croaks!

They know!
We are over the hump.
We are rounding a bend.
Soon it will be visible:

The little church in the valley.
It beckons us humbly.
It welcomes us warmly.

It is no Notre Dame.
But it can hold all.
It is no Stonehenge.
But it will stand for much longer.

It is no Vatican.
There will be no Pope, no Cardinals,
No hierarchy of holiness.

You will find no masterpieces of art,
No vault of earthly treasures,
Plundered or pilfered,
Paid for with mountains of nickels and dimes,
Offered by poor men and women who tithed till it hurt,
Believing that only through pain and penance could they be granted entrance,
To where they already were:
Heaven.

What you will find is sunny solace.
Simple fellowship.
Windows of glass will look out upon the truest beauty of all:
Nature herself.
The basement will be filled with messages of love,
Etched on marble tablets,
Engraved in golden lockets,
Scribbled on scraps of paper.
It makes no difference.
They are all true offerings, of true value.
The glass ceilings will be vaulted, to match the spirit within.
The faces of angels looking down will be provided by mirrors:
Reflecting the joy in the faces looking up,
In awe, in wonder
At the ever changing sky above them:
Light, dark,
Sunny, starry,
Misty, cloudy,
Every shade from dismal grey to radiant rose and gold.

What could be a better representation of heaven?
What more ornamentation could be called for?

Can you picture it as I can?
It is our haven.
It is our sanctuary.
It is our meeting place.
It is our starting point,
Our rest station,
Our headquarters.

Oh, haven’t I mentioned it?
This is not the end.
This is the next step to a better tomorrow.

Soon we will be setting out,
Hiking boots, rain gear, and a pack of provisions.
I can see the next peak!

So take a breather,
But don’t settle in,
We have miles to go before we sleep.
Miles to go before we sleep.