When I die I think I’ll be satisfied
whether I’m in Hell or Heaven, that’s what
I told my Sunday School teacher after
class this morning, she gets a little smug
about God and Jesus and the Holy
Ghost sometimes, she asked all us ten-year-olds
if we want to live with Jesus when we
die and I was a little slow raising
my hand and she noticed and then held me
after class to ask me what my beef is
and I answered Well, ma’am, I just need some
more time to think about most questions folks
ask of me and she answered Gale, you might
just not have that much time to go so
I answered Yes ma’am-let’s pray that you’re right.
Gale Acuff has had poetry published in Ascent, Reed, Poet Lore, Chiron Review, Cardiff Review, Poem, Adirondack Review, Florida Review, Slant, Nebo, Arkansas Review, South Dakota Review, Roanoke Review and many other journals in a dozen countries. He has authored three books of poetry: Buffalo Nickel, The Weight of the World, and The Story of My Lives. Gale has taught university English courses in the US, China, and Palestine.
