An American child’s voice heckling
Lightnin Hopkins,’Howlin Wolfs’ blues
I won’t pay for ad free experiences
He asks Father if going to heaven is
expensive; he overheard conversation
between his parents on end of life care
Father, unremarkable with grilled hair
and vacation swarthy as health comes
to these oiled men of financial creation
son’s concern is who’ll manage his
lunches when he goes to school if
they die before he makes adulthood
if this wasn’t an ad it would come off
as childish anguish about being alone
this is a kid actor with business voice
Father reassures everything will be
fine, God has provided their family
with insurance for the final expense,
Up to 50k for burial and solemnities
pebbles a day will make God happy
heaven won’t acquit debt so call us
before the end comes, scheduled
raptures of checkbooks, if you’re
good you can leave a life like this
About the Poem
I wrote this poem after seeing an ad for an evangelical Christian life insurance company called Final Expense. A mode of documentation, through poetry, is something I often do–especially if I can reflect something important about our cultural and political landscape for the reader.
About the Poet
Nikki Wallschlaeger’s latest book is Hold Your Own (Copper Canyon Press, 2024). She was a Visiting Professor at the Iowa Writers Workshop in 2022. She lives in the Driftless region of southwest Wisconsin, the country she calls her home.
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