
Before the Altar, We Pray (graphic art)

Before the altar, we pray
To gods of the forest-night
They hear us in our anguish
Remove us from televised carnage
And mass murder of dreams
In America, nothing is as it seems
We trek to the forest at nightfall
By light of neon and longing
It smells of fire-smoke and dust
Sending up a prayer – way up in the air
Pleading with God – will He respond?
He’s quiet at first – this feels so forced
But the prayer changes me – can’t you see?
I begin to let go – at first, it’s very slow
My worries remain – at least for today
I don’t expect magic – or to feel ecstatic
My faith is hard-won – once, I came undone
From that I learned – not everything’s absurd
While it may seem so – it takes time to grow
Into spiritual maturity – certainly not purity
Life’s never perfect – the future, we can’t predict
But spirituality helps me – it makes me feel free
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” ― Søren Kierkegaard
Continue reading“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ― Meister Eckhart
Continue readingWhy, O LORD, do you stand far off?
up in cloudy heavens
obscured by bright suns
that brutalize my brethren
i seek peace, O LORD
but pieces of me shatter
into tiny shards
every time the gun shots
blare in this dystopian world
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