When I finally made it to the kingdom,
weary from travel,
hungry and eager to bathe,
they treated me like royalty.

And the next to arrive,
also worn, starving and smelly–
she, too, was welcomed
with a crown, a scepter and a robe.

When bedtime arrived,
out came the cots,
one for each of us,
mine just down the row from Jesus',
several aisles over from Buddha's and my sister's.

I fell asleep,
more completely than ever in life,
to the slow breathing
of the saints of all ages.

Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.