Sometimes prayers are just crazy talk;
Give me this, give me that,
Do this to them,
Take that from me,
Selfish little sighs.
Sometimes prayers are right down,
In the gutter, face in the dirt,
Begging on bared bones:
I promise, I won’t,
I will, I can,
So easy to forget.
Sometimes prayers are bargains;
If you will, if you’re there,
If you can save him or her,
I will trade my life, my ribbons,
My own tempting trade-offs.
Sometimes prayers are surrender;
Take her from his suffering,
Take him quick,
Ok, ok, you win,
And there is a giving up.
Sometimes we are more blessed
Than we deserve;
Thank you for this meal,
Thank you for you,
Thank you for them, for me
Such placating little pantings.
Sometimes a prayer is not a prayer at all;
I can’t believe you did this,
Why didn’t you stop it,
How could you be kind,
Queries quieten’d by fear.
Sometimes it is a flung feeling;
Oh this breath of newborn baby,
I believe in heaven after seeing
This streak of light upon this pond,
Oh thank you, thank you
For this shawl you place on my shoulders
When grief could freeze me,
A wisp of wonder at my worth,
Sighs of special speech, spoken to no one
because unanswered prayers
have often been their own reward.
Author notes
I have tried every tactic.
Inspired by #21. Unanswered Prayer - Garth Brooks
In a list
A contest entry
- Round 2 Invitational Only. by Raelin.
600 points, ended January 20, 2007, 4 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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Yea often times prayers can be a nusiance. Well done. Keep them coming and blessed be.
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They would wind their way to my mouth, whether I believe or not, methinks. Tk You again.
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WEll done Carol . . . prayers can sometimes be such trifling little bits of selfish nothingness . . .
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Yes...they are always, itseems, so much about us, whether they are for someone else int he begining, or not. Thank you, marc, for your kind comment.
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