RA HEAVEN

THE RA STOOD AND FACED HIS GOD,
WHICH MUST ALWAYS COME TO PASS.

HE HOPED HIS HOUSING SHIRT WAS PRESSED,
JUST AS NEATLY AS HIS PANTS.

"STEP FORWARD NOW, YOU RA, HOW SHALL I DEAL WITH YOU?
HAVE YOU ALWAYS TURNED IN INCIDENT REPORTS? TO HOUSING HAVE YOU BEEN TRUE?"

THE RA SQUARED HIS SHOULDERS AND SAID,
"NO LORD, I GUESS I AIN'T BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO WATCH OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T ALWAYS BE A SAINT. I'VE HAD TO WORK MOST SUNDAYS, AND AT TIMES MY TALK WAS ROUGH, AND SOMETIMES I'VE BEEN ANGRY, BECAUSE THE HALLS ARE AWFULLY TOUGH.

BUT I NEVER STOLE LOCK-OUT MONEY, THAT WASN'T MINE TO KEEP, THOUGH I WORKED A LOT OF OVERTIME WHEN THE RESIDENTS WOULD NOT SLEEP, AND I NEVER PASSED A CRY FOR HELP, THOUGH AT TIMES I SHOOK WITH FEAR, AND SOMETIMES, GOD FORGIVE ME, I'VE WEPT UNMANLY TEARS. I KNOW I DON'T DESERVE A PLACE AMONG THE PEOPLE HERE, LORD, IT NEED NOT BE SO GRAND, I NEVER EXPECTED OR HAD TOO MUCH, BUT IF YOU DON'T I'LL UNDERSTAND."

THERE WAS SILENCE ALL AROUND THE THRONE WHERE THE SAINTS HAD OFTEN TROD, AS THE RA WAITED QUIETLY FOR THE JUDGEMENT OF HIS GOD.

"STEP FORWARD NOW FOR YOU RA, YOU'VE BOURNE YOUR BURDENS WELL, WALK PEACEFULLY ON HEAVEN' STREETS, YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME IN HELL."

- MODIFIED BY MIKE FREYALDENHOVEN II