The following poem appears in Dr. Melvin Morse's book Parting Visions.  The author, Karl Skala, one of Germany's most noted poets, had a near-death experience during World War II.   He and his best friend were huddled together in a foxhole during an artillery bombardment.

The shells hit closer and closer until one finally hit close to Skala's friend and killed him.  The poet felt his friend slump forward into his arms and go limp with death.  Then a strange thing happened to Skala.  He felt himself being drawn up with his friend, above their bodies and then above the battle field.

Skala could look down and see himself holding his friend.  Then he looked up and saw a bright light and felt himself going toward it with his friend.  Then he stopped and returned to his body.   He was uninjured except for hearing loss from the artillery blast.

After the war he wrote a poem about the incident.  According to Dr. Morse, it is one of the most beautiful poems about a spiritual experience of this kind he has ever read.

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