Classic Poem

" Where is Heaven? " asked the Person.
I want Heaven — to enjoy it;
I want Heaven, recompensing
For the evils I have suffered —
All the terrible injustice,
All the foolish waste and hunger —
Where is Heaven? Can I get there?

Then the Priest expounded Heaven:
" Heaven is a place for dead men;
After you are dead you'll find it,
If " — and here the Priest was earnest —
" If you do the things I tell you —
Do exactly what is ordered!
It will cost you quite a little —
You must pay a price for Heaven —
You must pay before you enter "

Am I sure of what I'm getting? "
Asked the mean, suspicious Person
" What you urge is disagreeable;
What you ask is quite expensive;
Am I sure of getting Heaven? "

Then the Priest prepared a potion,
Made of Concentrated Ages,
Made of Many Mingled Feelings —
Highest Hope and Deepest Terror —

Mixed our best and worst together,
Reverence and Love and Service,
Coward Fear and rank Self-Interest —
Gave him this when he was little,

Pumped it in before the Person
Could examine his prescription
So the Person, thus instructed,
Now believed the things he told him;
Paid the price as he was able,
Died — the Priest said, went to Heaven —
None came back to contradict him!

" We want Heaven, " said the People;
" We believe in God and Heaven;
Where God is, there must be Heaven;
God is Here — and this is Heaven. "

Then they saw the earth was lovely;
Life was sweet, and love eternal;
Then they learned the joy of living,
Caught a glimpse of what Life might be,
What it could be — should be — would be —
When the People chose to have it!

Then they bought no further tickets
Of the sidewalk speculators;
They no longer gave their children
The " spring medicine " of Grandma.
They said, " We will take no chances
Of what happens after dying;

We perceive that Human Beings,
Wise, and sweet, and brave, and tender,
Strong, and beautiful, and noble,
Living peaceably together,
In a universal garden
With the Sciences for Soldiers,

With the Allied Arts for Angels
With the Crafts and Trades for Servants,
With all Nature for the Teacher,
And all People for the Students,
Make a very pleasant Heaven
We can see and understand it,
We believe we'd really like some,
Now we'll set to work and make it! "

So they set to work together,
In the Faith that rests on Knowledge,
In the Hope that's born of Wisdom,
In the Love that grows with Practise —
And proceeded to make Heaven.

And God smiled. He had been tired
Of the everlasting dead men,
Of the hungry, grasping, dead men;
He had always wanted live ones —
Wanted them to build the Kingdom!