With the recent passing of Kay's mother, Ruth, I wrote this to present at the Y of the Rockies’ June Poem share. What a great evening of poetry from all the staff who presented, especially the LT college students!

Contemplating the Loving Infinite
Heaven has been on my mind
Lately, more than usual. 
A life-sobering shock and
The passing of one dearly loved.
Not so much feeling mortal,
As part of the eternal whole.
Contemplating:
“Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will be Done On Earth
As It Is In Heaven.
As what is? In Heaven.
A Kingdom: John’s New Eden?
Heavenly Hosts playing harps
And Singing Tabernacle hymns?

Some have claimed to
Have been sent back to us,
After a brief view,
A taste of Heaven.
Healed, awed, filled
By the Holy Spirit, driven.
Individual stories with only
Indescribable awe in common.
Surprised by stories
By two children,
Unrelated to each other,
Separated by geography
And time and circumstance.
Meeting the same Christ,
With no coincidence in sight.
An inexplicable Heavenly visit.

If our Genesis is in God’s image,
That may explain
Our universal need
To Love and be loved.
We thrive with others only,
And especially with God, only
In a relationship of
Profound depth.

Do we make Heaven
In our own image?
Versions vast and varied.
Or do we climb C. S.
Lewis’ Holy Hill,
With a Guide chosen
By the Holy One, Just for us.
Challenging us to faith
To take the painful steps
Toward that Holy Mountain.

Sharing in the abundance of
The Kingdom, and
The adventures in store
For our souls,
We grow in faithfulness
And understanding
In God’s many-verses.

The infinite cosmos
Redefined by an
All-encompassing Love
And universal Adoration, and
The praiseful songbook of
Heaven’s favorite hymns!

R. J. Williams
Poem Share
YMCA of the Rockies
June 2017