Gale Acuff
When you're dead you're in Heaven or Hell

getting even deader I guess, even
though there's no time up there or down there like
there is here, on Earth I mean, but then that's
church and Sunday School and religion and
the meaning of life but I can't put it
into words exactly and anyway
that's the Bible's job, it does it better
than I could and I don't even care, not
much, unless I'm failing a pop quiz at
regular school or I get beaten up
after it or even church--Mother swears
she's going to kill me dead if I come
home again with torn clothes and dirty face
and blood all over. She'll have no mercy.

*

After Sunday School today I kissed

my teacher goodbye just in case I'd be
dead the following Sunday and not be
able to make it back and told her Give
my regards to God but she said I should
be the one to say that since if you die
before you return next week you're the one
who should say hello to Him for me, then
she giggled, which made me feel that death's not
really scary after all, not that she
laughed in death's face exactly, she just can't
take him seriously, which is more than
I can say for me and most other folks
so then I said Yes ma'am--if I die I'll
do it but if I return then fuck it.