Return To Sender

Return To Sender

Early on
I was instructed to
“give my life to
the Lord.”

I did my best –
the way I wrapped it
may have been
a little sloppy,
I was just a kid –
but I sent it
First Class.

I was told
the Lord would
take care of
everything,
in exchange for
my obedience.

I confess
there have been times
I’ve been,
to say the least,
puzzled by the
outcomes of this
micro-management,
but I chalked it up to
my obviously inadequate
obedience.

Awhile back
a package was
delivered –
all I saw was a flutter
of wings.

The label said,
“Return to Sender.”
Inside was a message:

“We’ve been trying to
give your Life
back to you
for decades, but

you seem to
have been
hiding.

We love you
and your good
intentions,
but you were meant
to have
your Life.

No worries.
You’ve got some
years left.

There’s no end
of adventures:
Funny ones,
scary ones,
some that will
leave you breathless,
with your viscera
overflowing with
euphoria.
But you’ll need to
take your Life back.

We hope you’ll
forgive us for
having a bit of
fun
watching you
try to be
obedient.

All our love.”

If you like “Return To Sender,” maybe you’ll like seeing my poetry books, and more poems, at stevegillard.com.