or preacher or whatever
knows that the man has entered heaven
he had declared the man saved several times
it must be so
but still
remembering a few arguments with the man
and his perverse insistence on winning
wonders if maybe this time God could forget
and send the man where he truly belonged
a man dies and his wife
sits dutifully beside his bed
she does not weep
suppresses a smile when she hears
"Stoic in her grief"
suppresses another when she thinks
he'll never black her eye again
or bruise her arm
or thunder her unworthiness
or pick at some failing he considers sin
he's gone and for this lifetime anyway
she's free of him
she bows her head and prays
that wherever God consigns her when she dies
it be another place than his
a man dies and his son
arrives too late to wish the man more life
although it would have been a mouth-only wish
his real wish that the man left him some cash
and no more debt
knowing the common practice
he sits in the living room and looks forlorn
and prays no one interrupts him while he shams
he dredges up expectations from other funerals
and invents memories to satisfy them
a man dies and his friends
gather and whisper what they'd like to hear
when their time comes
the man becomes
renowned for loyalty
for helpfulness
generosity
and faith
no one
not one of them
dares think the transformation a waste of grace
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