Even seraphim argue in heaven
Over who didn’t pay the bills on time,
Who didn’t do the laundry,
Whose turn it is to do the dishes,
Whose turn it is to feed the cherubs,
And who forgot to dress them up for picture day.
But when I meet you in the afterlife,
I’ll still have a lot of work to do.
I still might not acquiesce to your requests.
I might not be on time with some bills,
I might still forget the dishes,
And give the cherubs pizza instead of veggies.
But I won’t forget picture day,
Because we’ll be picture ready every day,
Teeth white as the cirrus.
Though after the photo, I still
Might give you a reason to argue with me,
If not for a real reason,
Just to keep you guessing.
“Excuse me. I was lying on that cloud.
Why are you still laying around?
I thought we were going to visit the kids today.
All you do is play the harp all day.
You can’t hide behind God forever,
He won’t protect you from me.”
And I’ll remind myself each heavenly day,
Just because we’re unearthly, doesn’t mean love isn’t labor,
And I’ll work to keep you from asking me,
“When will you love me like you loved me on earth?”
Alexander P. Garza is a writer, actor, and educator from Houston, TX. His work can be seen in The Ekphrastic Review, Amethyst Review, Penwood Review, Magnolia Review (forthcoming), Nine Muses Poetry (forthcoming), Little Rose Magazine, Ariel Chart, Literal Magazine, and Broadway World Houston. He has worked on and offstage at The Alley Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, Main Street Theater, and Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company. Visit him on Instagram/Twitter, @alexanderpgarza, and on his website http://www.alexanderpgarza.com.