You can understand why people have
	yearned for heaven; the slaves yearned 
for heaven to take them away (from whites); 
        the Native Americans yearned for heaven 
to get away from the slaughtering 
	ways (of whites); the poor yearn for heaven 
for relief from the hardness of 
	everything everyday (imposed by whites); and 
wealthy, evangelical whites who love Jesus 
	more than anything or anybody sing 
“If we never meet again this side of 
	heaven, then I’ll see you on that 
beautiful shore,” but when that time 
	comes they are made out to be liars, 
because they cling desperately with 
	hands like pincers for the quicksands 
of this shore as they claw their way 
	away from the waters that would 
carry them away to the beautiful shore. They want 
        to stay and with all their possessions to play.
I can't help but think that blacks, Indians 
        and the poor and everyone else on heaven's way, 
like it that whites keep clawing their way 
        and just stay way from that beautiful, heavenly shore.