Tonight I went to Heaven
after months of pain
My friends held my hands,
the man at the not-exactly-pearly gate checked my bag
and the siren on the stage brought her dead pals
to Heaven with her
Tonight I went back to Heaven
I’d been on Earth, not in Hell,
maybe in Purgatory
I booked my ticket by
doing good, going without
and working hard
Tonight I went to Heaven
For the first time
sober
For the first time
seated
For the first time to watch
and not join in
Tonight I went to Heaven
for the first time in maybe thirty years
It is still beneath the arches,
still a place where the weary can relax,
and they still play Bronski Beat
Tonight I went to Heaven
But I didn’t die –
I came alive
