Never been there so really can’t say
How far is Heaven from hell,
So let me see if I can answer thee
Shall try tickle some wise grey cell.

Tears of joy and those of sadness
The origin is the same,
Emotions lie all within us
Whatever be their name.

Think of sanity and then of madness
Just a small step away,
From the brink do we pull back
Or, “marbles lost” is the play.

Hunger and satiety
Are just a morsel apart,
A kind word or two
Eases the pain in the heart.

Love from hate is a very thin line
While life from its end a mere breath away,
That’s how close they must also be
Heaven and Hell, like night and day.

Like the two sides of the coin
Their close proximity would come naturally,
Since it’s all good or bad, nothing betwixt, so
Paradise and Hades can’t be too far apart, really.

The Saint and the Sinner lie in each one of us
The Lord’s weighing scale chooses our place,
Did we run fairly and squarely or not
In the answer lie the keys at the end of life’s race

And, finally then, if they both lie within us
Whether in the heart or the oft-roving mind,
They can’t be too far apart, can they
Look inside of you and the answer you will find.

Wherever they are, within or the skies
Myths, stories or well- versed lies,
Heaven and Hell are, indubitably, close
And, inseparable those ties.

(The author is a prolific poet who has over 30 poetry books to his credit. He can be reached at ashoksawhny06@gmail.com/ www.ashoksawhny.com)