Saturday, March 5, 2022

Please

 


Prayer used to be in Latin, on my knees,
a penitent at early mass, censor swinging, 
incense wafting, the feeling of holiness
so close, so close, mea culpa, mea culpa,

or in the choir loft, singing the Magnificat,
heart soaring, voices ringing through the church,
prayer set to music and the rustle
of angel wings.

Then years of no prayer, only surviving,
when "Help!" was sometimes all
that I could manage. After that came kindness,
trying to do some good in the world,
prayer in action, feeling distant from
whatever God there is, just doing
the best I could. (I think God could
see me, trying.)

In my old age, a great weariness,
as I watch what humankind has wrought
on this planet and each other.
How to pray? And will it help
when a madman rains bombs down
on innocents and threatens to blow up
the world? "Please," I say.
Just "please," because way too much is wrong
for ordinary prayer to heal, and God 
must shake her head watching the madness
going on below, when "please"
and "help" are now the only prayers
I know.


inspired by the poem "Prayer" by Jacqueline Berger, of Wild Writing.

5 comments:

  1. May our collective prayers be answered soon!

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  2. Yes - please and help! The most important words we can pray! I feel you in this one, Sherry.

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  3. In our hearts we pray for help and remember to be grateful for the gifts we do have. Hopefully, from our tongue to god's ear he will hear our plea.

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  4. A simple prayer of please and help is sometimes the deepest prayer my friend. We are praying together. 💙 Thank you for your sweet words at my blog last week. Your presence at the Muse and at blogs is always a blessing Sherry. Thank you for your friendship!

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  5. Well, e-hugs...I'm always glad when people find their way back to prayer.

    (Has everyone read "Help Thanks Wow"?)

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