Poem by Deister Descendent *

Heaven Is In Missouri

a black and white photo would show a crusted sign
that had once read "Deister Cemetery",
letters barely visible, a tee that twists and gnarls as it reaches for the clouds,
gravestones, surface softened by a light mist of moss,
a broken wire fence that wraps around the land
that is alive with the blood of any family, soaked deep into the roots.
some gravestones, fallen and shattered, gray with cold, unfeeling,
Victorian letters read of my family, here on the hill since 1816.

delicate trees line the small property,
and beyond, hills slope gently upward to the sun.
as if it's caught in a black and white photo,
the sun's light sparkles off the surface of a pond, in broken sort of movement
that reminds me of the half-fastforward motion of old sound-less movies.

an ancient tree stretches its arms out across the water, catching sun rays.
but a wildflower grows through the dirt where she was buried,
and like a wildflower, she lived her life,
growing and thriving with joy and faith wherever she was planted.
and heaven springs open on the hillside graveyard a ringing laughter brings life to the grass and to the trees.
the sun beats down brighter than before
and each grave breaks open as beautiful souls stretch out great white wings
and pull themselves up from the ground.

the wildflowers bloom
the breeze is cool the sun... the SON looks down from above, smiling
and she laughs until, she cries
who knew heaven was in Missouri
this is where I will be buried
in the garden of my family.

by Emily Deister- 2007
(Shared by a family member Justin Deister)

Contributed on 9/13/20 by justinswordfish
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Record #: 826405

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