What Will We Do the Day the World Ends?

by Tommy Welty

We will keep walking
down the same streets as always.
We will stop for a beer at Greg’s.

One day the black dog
will swallow its praise
and carry me in its teeth.
On that day

we will take the kids to gymnastics,
microwave last night’s Pad See Ew,
eat standing up and kiss goodnight,
we will wake to bloody noses at 2am. Pinch,

look up.

We think Judgment Day will be quick
but it takes so long. We keep crossing
dates out on the calendar. We remember:

Game night with the neighbors,
Taco Tuesday, Parent-Teacher conferences,
your dad coming for a week in March,
– don’t let me forget – blood
being drawn tomorrow

(I always forget),
a kiss on the cheek.

When that day comes,
that great and terrible day,
we will see shadows on every wall.
We will keep walking.

---

Tommy Welty is a poet and pastor in Southern California. His poetry has appeared in Heart of Flesh Literary Magazine, Solumn Literary Press, Ekstasis Magazine, and elsewhere.