A Painful Heaven

                                 Heaven enough for me
would be this world as I know it, but redeemed
Of our abuse of it and one another. It would be
the Heaven of knowing again. There is no marrying
in Heaven, and I submit; even so, I would like
to know my wife again, both of us young again,
and I remembering always how I loved her
when she was old. I would like to know
my children again, all my family, all my dear ones,
to see, to hear, to hold, more carefully
than before, to study them lingeringly as one
studies old verses, committing them to heart
forever. I would like again to know my friends,
my old companions, men and women, horses
and dogs, in all the ages of our lives, here
in this place that I have watched over all my life
in all its moods and seasons, never enough.
I will be leaving how many beauties overlooked?
A painful Heaven this would be, for I would know
by it how far I have fallen short. I have not
paid enough attention, have not been grateful
enough. And yet this pain would be the measure
of my love. 

- extract from poem by Wendell Berry, in This Day, p. 292-3

Gratefuls:
- Deb lending me this book
- plums plumping up
- all the work we've done today

Adding an extra: 
- just heard that a family we love in Sri Lanka is OK, so grateful.