Corner

When the man in the dark suit
standing before the Bible display
asks if I want to go to heaven, I say,
Sure, and that I’ve been hearing
about the place since I was small
and even if it’s a little crowded or
run-down by now, even if it’s not
as shiny new as it used to be,
I think it probably still would be fun
to go as a kind of field trip, but
I do worry about the forms since
those trip me up again and again
at the doctor’s, or school, or airports,
or borders, so if there is paperwork,
a lot of forms, fine print and waivers
I’d rather just as soon stay here. I ask,
Have you been? He says he hasn’t, but
he’s looking forward to it. I say, Good
for you. I hope it’s fun. Just be careful
what you sign, and I cross the street.

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A faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Joseph Mills has published numerous volumes of poetry, most recently The Holiday Cycle. In 2027, Press 53 will publish his New and Selected Poems.