Renascence Declined Poem by Lora Colon

The valleys and the hills heaved and trembled,
The stone over my grave was rolled aside;
Like a freed bird, my spirit tried to soar -
Was this the Renascence as prophesied?

Upward I arose from my dark confines,
The flesh on my bones was reappearing;
Now all the dead were rising from their graves,
What gasps of confusion I was hearing!

A blinding light plummeted from the sky,
Its intensity then made manifold;
What joy! There I stood face to face with God,
His overture a wonder to behold!

"Choose to live again, " a silent voice urged,
"And so my breath of life through you shall flow; "
Bleak silence ensued, sensing my unrest,
Then I dared to ask what most yearned to know:

"How will this new life compare to the last,
Will I be assured love this time around? "
The Light dimmed a bit, and somehow I knew
The sad answer, though I heard not a sound

"Then tell me, please, what about mankind.....
This time will all men embrace each other
With kindness, respect and more tolerance,
Will we accept each man as our brother? "

Oh, how the silence filled my soul with grief,
Upon a sea of turmoil I was tossed;
Was it madness on my part to suggest
Restoration of a Paradise once lost?

It was predetermined -little would change,
Just different costumes and new scripts to read;
How rude to offer yet another life
Where neither love nor peace was guaranteed!

Still I argued: "But what about Heaven.....
Does no one earn the right to Paradise? "
Said the voice: "Earth holds both Heaven and Hell,
Make your decisions, and hope they are wise! "

Said I: "What of the plight of all mankind.......
Illness, famine, wars - pain without relief?
The list is endless - is there no recourse
For this senseless suffering beyond belief? "

An angel whispered a severe scolding:
"Life is a gift - accept it gratefully! "
What could an angel know of mortal things?
Without love, life would mean nothing to me!

I could not accept this new gift of life,
And gently, I laid it back at His feet;
Without further discourse He turned away,
There were so many more souls yet to greet

I had re-walked the steps of my past life
And recalled the pain of dying alone;
With no remorse, I returned to my grave,
With a sigh, an angel replaced the stone