A Place In Heaven Poem by Nikhil Parekh

I was a handsome youth once,
full of robust energy, always on the prowl,
kicking stone, disheveled weeds in my path,
racing in my automobile at whirlwind speed,
climbing steep corrugated rock with nonchalant ease,
swimming against turbulent currents of sea water,
dancing wildly to high bass tunes of rock music,
consuming rich liquor extracts from large cans of
beer,
screamed extravagantly at the slightest provocation,
was ready to leap down the valley, for the person I loved.

The advancing years painstakingly crept in,
black sheath of hair transformed to grizzly white,
bone mass shrunk beneath tunnels of skin,
teeth enamel lost its sheen, left gaping holes for all to see,
eyeballs sunk in their sockets with cloud formations of cataract,
scalp hair receded to a paltry few with fragile connections to skull,
walking stick now replaced swords used to decimate rabbit skin,
shoulder assembly drooped with wrongdoings of past decades,
a feeling of horrifying dread descended on me,
I had cellars full of gold and currency note,
towering marble palaces, fertile acres of land,
the time to quit this earth was fast approaching,
my thin skinned skeleton would blend with granules of mud,
the chambers of wealth held meager significance,
it was a plethora of humble deeds, that would prove to be a prerequisite,
to ensure me a place in the satiny walls of heaven.