PURGATORY

"A state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by expiating such offences committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation, to become fit for heaven." 

He dwells in Purgatory,
this unfortunate soul isn't ready for heaven.
He feels the need to atone.
He waits for salvation.

She was revered as a saint but
it seems she still wasn't saintly enough.
That one moment of turning her back 
on the suffering of a dying woman
cancelled her immediate acceptance.

Realistically, there's no such thing
 as an actual place of purgatory, but...
What if you really believe in it?
Does that make doctrine reality?

Can one abide in Purgatory while alive?
Not according to its definition.
What would it feel like, though?
A state of abeyance,
A lack of forward movement,
A liminal point between action and apathy?

Freedom by way of  purgation can be found while living.
A different perspective causes release from the prison
of waiting.
Finding one's way without parameters is for the best.
Heaven and hell are right here, right now.

When you're a ghost, neither will be relevant.
This life is a brief moment in time.
The after life comes when your part in the play is done,
curtain call taken, costume removed, and
returned to real life on the Other Side.
In other words, everyone goes Home.


©Ellen Pepper 2026
image from ptcdemasconfianza.blogspot.com