AFTER THE PATH

And in the room of ancestors
Were all the relatives I’d ever met,
And more I’d not,
And plenty never heard of:
Lords and Ladies,
Serfs and vagabonds,
Idiots and wisdom’s finest,
And the fit,
The fat
And the flatulent,
Along with the assorted livestock
And pets
That meant the most to them,
And next door to this hall
Was another,
Less relative assembly,
Where stood the rest of yesterday’s
People,
All beaming at me,
And pleased to see my presence
In this Heaven,
This Hell,
This sheltering space
Of obsidian beyond,
And,
As I looked,
The throng took flight,
And lit the black background
With glittering light,
As they became the stars of night,
Filling until full the infinite distance,
And still watching
My hand was clasped tight
By my dearest,
And I was lifted amongst them
For the longest time.