As a kid growing up in church, I was always terrified by the idea of heaven as it was explained to me — fearful of eternity, the idea of no longer being tied to my family, my body, the places on earth I love. These fears never left me, they've only evolved as my comfort with mystery, not knowing, has grown. Now that I have a child, thinking about the possibility of life after death holds new wonder, and new fear. This poem wrestles with this mystery, this blurry doctrine I've always felt troubled by — hoping to reframe it as a comfort for one who has only just been born, one who I feel bound to on earth and for all eternity. Filmed in my son Thomas' nursery, a little paradise.

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Amy Bornman is a poet and artist. She is the author of There Is a Future (Paraclete Press, 2020). Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The Windhover and Image Journal. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. More from Amy at amybornman.com.