The Robber

Yesterday at midnight,
A robber broke into my house.
At first, I didn’t realize that he had broken in.
When the fridge door slammed shut, I woke
Abruptly from my deep slumber.
I waited for him to come bustling in my room with guns blazing
And waited and waited.
When nothing happened, I got out of bed, and found the telephone.
I dialed 911. They picked up the phone.
‘Hello. Hello! Hello?’
No response.
I opened the closet and got my trusty baseball bat out.
I went down the stairs.
On the ground floor, I suddenly crashed into someone.
I beat him with my bat.
I turned around and found someone staring at me with pitiful eyes.
I turned back,
And saw only shards of a broken mirror.
I heard one word.
‘Dad?’
He spoke again:
‘Dad, it’s me, John.
I bought you some medicine.
This should help with you.’
I looked at my hands, the mirror shards and then back at him.
I didn’t recognize anything.
I fainted.
This morning, I woke up in Heaven.
It was more of a bright white room, really.
I try to get up, but I can’t.
I try to remember why I was here, but I can’t.
I try to remember what my face looks like, but I can’t.
All I can do
Is exist, just barely.
A man in white comes in.
He asks,
‘Did you sleep peacefully last night, Henry?’