My eyes opened.
I am still alive;
Living on planet earth.
Though unconscious for many hours;
Unaware of existence,
Unknowing of life,
Incognizant of humanity
Living in a space of void,
Resident of nothingness,
Here, but not here.
There, but not there.

Now, awakened
I know I am here.
Thank you Lord! I guess;
I may prefer to be there.
Heard it is less troublesome,
Than here.

But, I accept here.
Though I am told there is better
And You know I want to be there
With You,
Yet,I thank you for here,
For now.

Here, I am able to hope for there.
Adds meaning to my life here.
You always visit me here
And we sometimes talk about there.

You review with me my assignment here
That must be completed
Before I can travel there.
And you remind me that
Even while I am here,
I get a little closer
To there every day.

I admit I do sometimes wonder about
What is going on there
And who is there
But no one who relocates there
Ever revisit here to tell me.

Well, I am awake and ready
To start my “here” business.
I cannot neglect it
Because what I do here
Determines what I do there

And ……

Which there I go to.

You placed me in time here,
Even though You went back to eternity there.
You did not abandon me here.

You speak with me daily
And do not withhold your loving-kindness
You cover me with the shield of wisdom
And do not forsake me in my struggles
Here.
Even as You prepare a place for me
There.

Thank you Lord
For being here and there.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

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