she has with her a favorite pen
because, of course, it was kept
in the pocket over her heart
even as she died
once she crosses over and accepts
she is where she is
she acquires paper and begins
to explore a topography
surprisingly verdant for a host
of all the dead the world has known
its borders have no limits
she is told
its skies no upper atmosphere
but she sees distant mountains
and drifting cirrus, and wonders
in the way of scientists if
the people here have made assumptions
as most of them
tend to stay in places like those
they loved best in their living years
whereas she
views the world as her home, and this
new and strange place apparently
lacks maps
something she can remedy
after all
she has all the time
in the world
and a pen that now
will supposedly never run out
of ink
she'll test that assumption, too