The Meeting

Just died, went to heaven, feeling so free,

Scared as a mouse, I let the wind carry me.

So lonely and light, five people I shall meet.

"All lives are connected" was the lesson taught

From the Blue Man, I shall forget not.

Met the first person, the first person I met.

Second heaven here I go,

My captain, he said hello.

A lesson he too, taught,

"Sacrifice is a part of life,"

With that I shall forget not.

Met the second person, the second person I met.

On to the third, all the more confused

To a place I've never seen, to a person I've never met,

But knew me she did, and taught me a lesson, too.

"Forgiveness is the key; remember that, Eddie."

Forgave my old man and went on to learn about life.

Met the third person, the third person I met.

I was a shadow, a breeze,

Swept by the wind through wedding after wedding,

'Til I came upon one that gave me an unexpected surprise.

Reunited with my wife, the love of my life,

She told me, "Love in any kind of form is still love."

Still, move on I had to, to learn of my purpose on earth.

Met the fourth person, the fourth person I met.

Swept through time and space once again,

Met a little girl I once killed, Tala,

She told me my purpose in life.

Eddie Maintenance is my name; keeping children safe is my game.

Met the fifth person, the fifth person I met.

Five people I met, five lessons I've learned.

So now it's my turn,

A lesson I too, shall teach

To the girl whose life I've saved.

Wait for her I shall, in my heavenly place.

Justification: This poem "The Meeting," is about an event that took place in Mitch Albom's Five People You Meet in Heaven. Written in a narrative form, the poem tells the story of Eddie traveling through heaven, meeting and learning from his five people. The poem has the characteristic of a story: setting, characters, and plot. The "story" is told in first person point of view through Eddie's eyes. This poem also includes literary devices such as metaphor and simile (scared as a mouse and I was a shadow, a breeze). The simile expressed how scared Eddie was when he first came to heaven. The metaphor of the shadow and the breeze expressed how light and free Eddie felt as he continued his journey through heaven. Throughout the poem, Eddie's feelings during the course of his journey, how he felt lonely, light, confused, scared, and free are expressed. "The Meeting" also contains end rhyme and couplets (learned: turn, go: hello, taught: not, free: me, ect.). I also included internal rhymes (she: me, key: Eddie, wife: life) to help create a meter or rhythm in the poem. "The Meeting" also contains refrains to show Eddie's journey and well as at to the rhythm. Refrain lines:" Met the person, the person I met," and in two stanzas "I shall forget not."