Once, as he lay in a hospital bed near death, Mattie says he saw angels coming for him. "It was beauty beyond imagination and description. When I woke up, the first thing I said was, 'Don't believe in the Christmas trees, the angels are so much more beautiful than that.'"

This is Mattie's poem, "When I Die":

When I die, I want to be
A child in Heaven.
I want to be
A ten-year-old cherub.
I want to be
A hero in Heaven,
And a peacemaker,
Just like my goal on earth.
I will ask God if I can
Help the people in purgatory.
I will help them think,
About their life,
About their spirits,
About their future.
I will help them
Hear their own Heartsongs again,
So they can finally
See the face of God,
So soon.
When I die,
I want to be,
Just like I want to be
Here on earth.