The Reaper

 Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. Mark Twain

 

I stopped to see my father today

as he lay on his third deathbed

The Reaper visited two times before

but my father refused to play dead

 

"Son he said. Come sit with me

for I feel it my duty to tell

It's not that I have found Heaven

but more over I didn't find Hell"

 

I suppose when a man nears his end

he fears for his immortal soul

My father thought the sins of his youth

would reap him a horrible toll

 

To all of us who have known success

from labors and pains endured

It isn't the end that fills our hearts

it's by the journey that we are cured

 

For a man knows nothing if not that

as he learns from life's long way

Through troubles faced and overcome

strength and character grows each day

It doesn't matter which God you believe

nor which Heaven your bus runs to

Grow your faith in your fellow man

and perhaps he can go there too

 

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Author's Note

Out from the black of eternal night shone a ray of light!

Reviews

[lee von cleef]

How can I review, when you start out with Mark Twain staring me down? Will Rodgers he would of been easier,
or a wild thought Zappa, "Joe's Garage". You leave no room Fathers yours and mine have the edge, they could read,and not just books,Men , they would measure,the moment, the time, the gap in the man at the end of the hand,pressure, depth of eye,their force was knowing of the part out of line, by grace they would live and accept from others what they would not from you. The Bar was high for all, but we placed ours in our fathers will.

[Tate Morgan]

How apropos that you would mention the hand pressure i remember teaching little Drake the boy I adore to shake hands I told him how a man judges anothers character in a hand shake. We went to his school then that day to meet his teacher he shook his hand. The teacher turned to me and said Man what a grip this boy has. Lol The smile on little Drakes face was priceless!

[lee von cleef]

lesson they don't teach anymore.

[Tate Morgan]

How true I remember after that his other saying I never knew drake needed a man in his life till you came along up till then he pushed every man who got near me away suddenly you come along and he can't get enough I remember at seven him in the other room telling her if you don't marry Tate you will suffer my wrath lol he said you don't get it he is the only man whom loves me the rest all talk to me to get to you Tate comes here to see me as much as you how true that was

[Tate Morgan]

Children know they see right through facades they say what they feel

[Nayan]

Beautifully expressed... your words of sorrow speak of the age old wisdom

Doesn't matter whether one believes in God or not, heaven or hell, or whatever or what not... It matters only this much - whether one lived and whether one cared and helped his/her fellow men/women.

The journey is eternal and it goes on and on... as your lines so deeply say... the path is the destination and to keep walking is the goal. May he rest in peace!

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you I myself think of it this way I judge a man by his works and deeds I care nothing for his beliefs

[Nayan]

Thank you sir. I feel and pray at this time. May the great soul reach where it has to go.
We all shall ... one day... I treat it as a great gift that I got the chance to interact with you in this life.

[B]

May he rest in peace
and enter heaven with no question

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you Nisreenaa

[B]

Its gonna be alright

[B]

It isn't the end that fills our hearts

it's by the journey that we are cured

I love these lines ......

I see so much wisdom in your poem ...... and sentiment

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you I hope you come to find the same in all my works as well as a great deal of emotion as I seem to rend water from stone sometimes

[B]

i know the feeling ......

[Tate Morgan]

I sent you a note

[B]

will check it out

[Fran Marie]

A beautifully penned piece here Tate...I think we all remember our sins of youth..but through life's journey we eventually see that light toward the end..lovely write

[Tate Morgan]

Yes it is the journey that heals us and so we find we are all on that journey

[leppero]

reallly good stuff here, good sir. glad I dropped by. some great thoughts too about life, and heaven, and elsewhere. very easy to read and understand

good stuff

[Tate Morgan]

Leppero Thank you . I am Tate nice to meet you

[leppero]

thank you, I am Eamonn. nice to meet you too

[Tate Morgan]

The feelings mutual

[Tate Morgan]

I am metered rhyme poet. i use common language in uncommon ways

[leppero]

can't argue with the success of your style. fair play

[Tate Morgan]

thank you I hope you like them . I have about 240 of them here

[wordman]

mark twain a great story teller mr clements wasn`t born to far from me
and I guess the greatest writer in my mind
you wrote a classic here my friend

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you I am glad to hear you are a fan of his too and I agree he was thew greatest

[wordman]

you are welcome tate

[Matching Socks]

I am so glad that I stopped to read this Tate.
Excellent writing. Great message. Perfect story telling.

[Tate Morgan]

Hi Ana so nice to see you Thank you dear. I guess i was thinking of my father today he is in a wheelchair breaks my heart to see him be such a shadow of his former self.

[Matching Socks]

It's heartbreaking, I know. xo

[Tate Morgan]

thank you ana

[Frieda P]

Ah yes I know Mark Twain is your god no doubt about it....

Grow your faith in your fellow man
and perhaps he can go there too

I couldn't agree more, profound read Tate....

[Tate Morgan]

This is a true story really happened and my father was really relieved to be able to tell me he was not going to hell or heaven just to nothingness as he was before he existed and he was relieved

[Frieda P]

That's comforting I suppose, he might have been shocked when he got there though....

[Tate Morgan]

he claims he died 3 times and was dead 4 minutes and there was nothing

[Frieda P]

Maybe it takes longer to get wherever he was going ;)

[Tate Morgan]

I don't think he is going very far

[Frieda P]

I doubt any of us will really know, until we get to wherever it is we end up, hopefully as stardust in someone's eyes.

[Tate Morgan]

I'm not one that beloved we should be good for the sake of possibly reaping rewards in the afterlife

[Frieda P]

Obviously not....you forget you were bad bad boy.... ;)

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

This is inspirational and full of wisdom.
The retrospect makes it powerful.
You left me with a desire to learn more.

[Tate Morgan]

Zeit man its been forever since i heard from you nice to see you again thank you