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by David Anderson

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The Shock of Heaven

August 6, 2012 by David Anderson 12 Comments

This is called “The Best Poem in the World,” which isn’t true. But it is the best doggerel in the world. Read it and see if you don’t agree.

 

The Best Poem in the World

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
as I entered Heaven’s door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
by the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
who made me sputter and gasp–
the thieves, the liars, the sinners,
the alcoholics, the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How’d all these sinners get up here?
God must’ve made a mistake.

And why’s everyone so quiet,
so somber? Give me a clue.”
“Hush, child,” said He, “They’re all in shock.
No one thought they’d see you.”

Pass it on: It’s all grace, all mercy, all love all the time.

Filed Under: Faith/Trust, Grace, Heaven, Love, Mercy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. cynthia klokel says

    August 6, 2012 at 9:12 am

    Thank you, David! I was in such need of a laugh, and to have my spirit lifted this morning.

    Reply
  2. John Capellaro says

    August 6, 2012 at 11:13 am

    O.K. you made me go look up the word doggerel! But… yes…. this is great. And I now have a new vocabulary word that I will try to use in my next Words with Friends game. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. David says

    August 6, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    Always happy to help someone win at Words with Friends!

    Reply
  4. clark s johnson says

    August 7, 2012 at 11:25 am

    David I love these surprise endings! Is that me there ? Blessings clark

    Reply
    • David Anderson says

      August 7, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      Can’t be you, since it’s me.

      Reply
  5. Ginny Lovas says

    August 7, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    Not sure who I will see in Heaven, but I know what I want in Heaven – a field of flowers where I can rest! What I am afraid of, is that I will find myself back in Stamford Hospital Clinic trying to do 10 things at once!

    Ginny

    Reply
  6. Per Sekse says

    August 9, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    Loved it. Made me think how important it is not to wait until you get to heaven to appreciate the point of the poem by not judging others you meet in the here and now.

    Per

    Reply
  7. Shannon says

    August 14, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    This one had me hanging on each word and still surprised me enough to laugh out loud at the punch line. So true!

    Reply
    • Judi Ludwig says

      May 18, 2020 at 11:26 am

      I am the author of this poem. It’s titled “Folks in Heaven” by J Taylor Ludwig. If you google it, you’ll find my copyright. Someone attributed it to a Rod Hemphill, but he just wrote a commentary on my poem. He did not write the poem.

      Reply
      • David Anderson says

        May 18, 2020 at 11:57 am

        Thanks for setting the record straight—and for a great poem!

        Reply
        • Judi Ludwig says

          May 18, 2020 at 12:02 pm

          Thank you. I’m glad you liked it . It’s a bit corrupted as someone changed “Uncle Bill” to “Herb” and other minor nuances.

          Reply
      • Lucy Stembridge says

        February 18, 2021 at 11:53 am

        Judi, I have been examining several places where your poem is quoted. One source even claims to be a “Truthbook”, but they did not mention your name! This is irksome, as the way a lot of media works is that people assume the poster wrote it. Let me know how I can help. I like your poem a lot. Shall I share it, beginning with the phrase, “Many are unaware of the creator of this meaningful and surprising poem, who is Judi Ludwig.” – Lucy Hudson Stembridge

        Reply

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