It takes a heart to get to heaven

And no matter how you try

You'd better have one all your own

It's not something you can buy.

And this heart must be a special heart

There's certain traits it must possess

It must have inside

the things we treasure most

Like truth and love, with joy

and tenderness.

It can't be hard or dark or cold

It must be alive and vibrant too

It must hold inside

our hopes and dreams

There's much that it must do.

It must yearn for peace

Yet be stout and strong

And have wisdom at its core

For if were to go to where it leads

Its path must be straight and sure.

And imprinted on this heart of ours

Will be all we've known or done

The good, the bad, and the in-between

Will be added up as one.

And yes, the scars,

the hurts, the pains

Well they'll all be in there, too

The times our heart was troubled;

The aches that our heart knew.

And when at last our time has come

Or if it comes too soon

Our heart will hold all our records

It won't run out of room.

We seek permission for admission

To the place our heart holds dear;

We've been on our way

since the very start

Of our journey from there to here.

And the goodness of this heart of ours

Will present the credentials

that we need

To grant us the grace to enter in

And find the joy that surpasses all

When you see what you believe.

It takes a heart to get to heaven.

Nickolas N. Zaccaro

Schnecksville