There’s no heaven,
hell,
no soul,
only flesh,
blood,
only bones.
When I die,
burn my past;
plant a tree in the ash.
The only afterlife
is the life that grows
after,
beyond memory,
oblivion,
beyond matter.
Bury what’s left
in lives yet to come.
****
There’s no god,
devil,
no angels,
only us,
them,
only you.
While I live,
join with now,
as with evergreen crowds.
The only afterlife
is the life we share
today,
beyond time,
memory,
beyond forebears.
Entrust what is
to lives here with us.
****
There’s no hope,
despair,
no fear,
only presence,
absence,
only duality.
I gaze inward
into the expanse
of endless contradiction,
paradox,
beyond conflict,
peace,
beyond enlightenment.
Salvation arrives, only when
I no longer need saving.