Subscription to Salvation

What do you know,
this fellow who just knocked
on my door has a magazine
full of recipes for salvation.
I never knew if I was saved
or not and it’s a little late
for me to start worrying now.
He said I should be reborn
but I don’t know, we’re
getting along pretty well,
paid the property taxes last week,
had the old bus tuned up for winter.
Just the Missus and me, the kids
have all flown the coop. We have
a highball before dinner, eat at
the Club on Friday nights, watch
football on Sunday p.m.—I don’t know
what I want to be reborn as.
I tried to make a little joke and said
I’d probably be reborn as a garter snake
and chase the girls out of
the strawberry patch. But he
gave me a sour look and walked away.
I’m sorry now I wasn’t more polite
and let him finish saving me.

    Original Citation
    Wormwood Review 22.1 (1982) 38-9.
    Word Count
    158
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1981
    Complete Poems
    420
    First Line
    What do you know,
    Poetic Form
    open
    Bibliographic Notes

    Complete lists 1981.

    Twitter Quote
    I never knew if I was saved / or not and it’s a little late / for me to start worrying now.