Heaven

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Heaven

is a small room

in some forgotten, dilapidated

part of town,

where the buildings

are ramshackle,

and there's an old movie theatre

like out of 

The Last Picture Show,

a sprawling marquee

with a cryptic message 

of missing letters,

canopy necklaced 

in luminous pearls,

and next to that 

a folksy general store,

with brooms for sale 

in the window,

and hats

(everyone wears a hat in heaven)

and next to that a strip bar,

next to a wooden church

with bell tower 

and vaulted stained glass.

Main Street is dusty

because it never rains

in heaven,

and everyone is unemployed,

of course,

they sit around all day

collecting heavenly welfare

and spend it on

booze and smokes

or whatever they want,

which isn't much,

and they smile

all the time 

because they relish

having

nowhere to be

and nothing to do

except to remember

and talk;

And they talk

endlessly

about everything,

share memories

and opinions,

and nobody minds,

they just listen

and laugh,

and laugh and listen,

at all the silly

things being said, 

no one gets angry

or offended,

because after all

they're in heaven

and slowly getting high

and know 

they’re never

coming down.