PARADISE

January 29, 2023 - a "scattered poem" from Yulani’s journal.

I want to live

as if there is no heaven.

No promise of an afterlife

to reward me for my

goodness,

no sacred land of peace waiting

for when my spirit leaves my body.

What I want

is to deeply love others,

and for the Earth to deeply love me:

May unplanted flowers bloom around my garden,

May small rabbits visit me in the mornings,

May the birds know my yard,

And the trees protect me from every storm.

I want to walk barefooted in the soil

and spend my days taking warm showers,

rinsing my locs and moisturizing my skin.

I want

to spend hours baking and meal-making.

I want a soft romance that feels like

freshly picked Chrysanthemums,

warm biscuits on a cold morning,

mugs of hot tea,

hours on the porch,

two pairs of reading glasses on one night stand,

matching slippers,

and love notes scattered throughout our cottage.

It’s not too much

to wish for a peace on earth.

I don’t want heaven

after I’ve died.