(« Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven » by Gustave Doré)

« Waking In Heaven » is a short instrumental about learning to trust life and allowing it to do its thing so we can end up where we belong, healed, hopeful, happy, and in love with life.

The composition starts with a minimalist approach, goes to the grandiose, and then takes a leap for the celestial. An irresistible mood lifter for me, it works well on its own, but I have a feeling that it could end up as the concluding part of a suite.

The piece is accompanied by poetry I wrote well after the composition was completed.

Once was a time I can recall
Before the spring after the fall
Far from the glory of it all
Distressing doubt was standing tall

Every morning I would arise
As light of day opened my eyes
Reflecting on words of the wise
Thinking they might be telling lies

How then could I ever reckon
That brethren heathen and fallen
The evil-eyed and I even
Would all be waking in heaven

One time peaceful contemplative
The next sorrowful and pensive
Long suffering all subjective
Heaven and hell coextensive

And on those days I could not find
On my own any peace of mind
There was music one of a kind
And it would free me from my bind

I would hear it as it would sing
Of a future reassuring
Omen of one fateful morning
When in heaven I'd be waking

As time went on faith I was taught
Gathered much strength from all the fraught
Sought to be not caught in much thought
Grateful for beauty the day brought

Words of the wise became more clear
Don't let hardships bring you to tear
Don't listen to the voice of fear
Just address the now and the here

Prevail persist and persevere
Hold on to your values most dear
Do strive forward always sincere
And doubt will slowly disappear

That fateful day at the sunrise
Life had finally opened my eyes
Faithful mourning released its ties
Gone was the cause of my demise

Time had pacified all the cries
I was free to rise in the skies
Heavens had granted me my prize
I had woken in paradise