“It’s a thought,” God said
when Mrs. God suggested that certain people
deserved to burn forever. Are you
getting your rest?”

“You don’t care enough,” she accused.
“You care too much,” he replied gently. “tell me
what you mean by hell.”

All the punishments she described then
were already present on Earth
as it seemed no torture was beyond
human invention. The difference 
was the word forever.

“Of course I do see,” God sighed.
“Life began so simply, a few amoebas,
little brown sparrows, lovely people in a garden,
laughter on a summer night…”

“A romantic comedy,” Mrs. God said. “Too bad
humans are addicted to drama.”
“And explosions,” God added. “Maybe
we could make Earth a dry planet,
no booze.” And then, of course, he laughed.