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Dead Skunk Logo: round logo of a white skunk silhouette on a black background with the words “Dead Skunk” in cursive. “Dead” is neon purple and “Skunk” is neon yellow.

WHEN YOU DIE IT'S HEAVEN OR HELL FOR YOU

Gale Acuff

they say at church and Sunday School but I

don't want die at all and told them so

but they laughed and said Well, you can't stay here,

on Earth they meant so I said Well, if not

then I'm not leaving and they laughed again

and said that It's okay to find humor

in 'most everything but certainly not

in the destiny of one's immortal

soul so I said Well, we'll see and they said You'll

see when you're dead, you mean, but by then you'll

see too late so I said That might be so

but I'll take that chance and then they said they'd

pray for me and I said I'd pray against

them. So I guess we're sort of in limbo.

About the Author: I have had poetry published in Ascent, Reed, Journal of Black Mountain College Studies, The Font, Chiron Review, Poem, Adirondack Review, Florida Review, Slant, Arkansas Review, South Dakota Review, Roanoke Review, and many other journals in a dozen countries. I have authored three books of poetry: Buffalo Nickel, The Weight of the World, and The Story of My Lives. I have taught university English courses in the US, China, and Palestine.

I like Wink cola, actually.

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