common book of prayer
God
forgive me
and help me
and is this so bad
a prayer
not
to utter most days
to start
or sometime throughout
it’s my
common prayer
as if I kept a common book
from which
I read
depending on the hours
it’s presuming
I suppose
if
asking
belief that God will forgive
and
God will help
and maybe the two-step isn’t needed
since
God might help me
anyway
not waiting for even personally determined
forms of doctrine
for
the hours
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photo by kevin turcios on Unsplash
“Ain’t no love in the heart of the city.”
San Francisco (USA)
my friend’s surgery was “good” (friend’s word); now he’s recovering, the recovery being complex and uncomfortable
thank you for prayers and good thoughts; any such that could be offered or given toward recovery would be really appreciated—Christopher
2 poems that deal in prayer
what we ask
I sin
and God is with me
loving me
though not approving
I don’t think
I ask the psalmist’s ask
and will receive
not
because I’m David
or a prophet or
a choirmaster for the court
but because
I ask
and God is love
(say from Psalm 51)
in prayer
and
do we get what we ask
gee
I don’t know
though if I had to guess I’d
say
the answer’s yes
yes
we do
all
right
unless we ask for evil
or we make evil
sinful good
and so deceive ourselves and then
beseech
but
you know
God’s rather smart
having
invented smart
and though God’s old
there’s nothing feeble to typify
as
sometimes we stay keen
all the way through
and God
stay keen forever
having
invented keen
as well and also I believe that God
is
yes
old
but also as young
as young as now
so about asking
and
what we ask for tends to be good
which might
surprise
and so
we’ll get that
we will get
the good
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photo by Luise and Nic on Unsplash
I wrote this probably too hastily yet for verse I hope it is acceptable (receivable). If you have prayers and/or good thoughts to offer, I’d like to ask them for my friend who’s having his eye operated on today. Thank you so much.
heal my friend
Monday
my friend has an operation in
a few hours
it’s on an eye
and so
will not be easy or simple
at all
as in a week or so I’ll have a procedure
that is simple replacement of
an implanted device
been
gone through
once by me
and so many times through the people with whom
I consult
his operation’s hard as
well as complex
many stages to go through
and
then an uneasy time of recovery after
all goes well
that is
the hope
of course
if all were an eye
you know
and thankfully it’s not
we’re
not
but that is metaphor for Christian duty
while his
the actual need
for sight
God help him
keep him
guide the hands that serve him
and
frankly
like asking for my niece because I don’t your will
precisely
so please heal her
please heal my friend
in
part out of
plain direct
praying
shall we ask for what’s clear and toned by
careful notes and leave
the gray notes
out
gathered by the single one who with angels
serving
knows rightly
how to play
well
everything
every song for every purpose
under
heaven
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1 Corinthians 12:17
“If all were an an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?”
photo by Murray Campbell on Unsplash
Holy Wednesday homework
sigh
Wednesday of Holy Week
a nothing day
third of
unfamous days
before
the rituals old and new
determined by a world or one’s
parish
or the way one has developed
over time
of expectation or endurance
of obligation
sigh
good
meaningful days if added
to the rest that must
go
on or goes on
anyway
add in hopes for chocolate
hardboiled eggs
and
ham
green artificial grass
that’s all
suburban passing but
might prayers go more intentional
for
the wars on
diseases
thieving of all kinds
among
these
theft of spirit of one kind
then
the other
pray for me
but while I’m praying
pray
for you
for needs I know
or
have kept away
by gesture
and
by habit
pray creatively
why don’t we
awkwardly
for lack of use applying our own words
but
it is Easter week and God’s hearing
might be understanding
flexible
and
you know
God gets it
anyway
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photo by Mathurin NAPOLY / matnapo on Unsplash
last place
vision shared
if I should get one more
to try
smallish place
but high with windows
please
then to set a circle out of chairs
lamps
here and there
so you may come to call
and
bring your friends
and we could talk of this or
that
of the word of God
in book and
in
the world
or what
to be praying for
when we have talked enough
on point
then
this intention
final chats
and
go
and I am at least a little pleased
that isolation goes
with some
condition for some company
while
on
that way
if no other closeness than the spirits
which should be close
enough
I know
though now I’d take more in the flesh as
any
might receive from
me
in this last
try
at home
though remember
but then one
or two
come by so we will sit
and
sip
and chat of
you know
anything
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photo by Jessica Christian on Unsplash
dearest friend
writing from a land-locked place
God
I turn to you for love
and I bring it
with me
not like yours except as a shell
with hopeful and stifling
stuff
inside
we could walk on the beach
early in the morning
while the same
seems most
shiny
and firm
and we could listen
we could
talk
we could listen
and would you hear me and appreciate
my hesitations
so that what is unsaid
could
finally be sent
and then the day would have to start
I guess
and we in it
though we could meet now
and then
even
on a bench to watch
the beach get
walked on
while
the shore erodes
then
night
and we could talk then
too
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photo by Ibrahim Rifath on Unsplash
resignation
there might be a good kind
God
where are you
I mean
in the flesh
please
in the God
or whatever form you take
to bring your presence
to us
to talk with us as you talked in the garden
or if a bush of
fire
is needed
well
the unconsuming kind doesn’t burn anything else
does it
I guess I’m asking
and we could talk
and if I deal
with abject
terror
I might remember that you talked this way
in a garden
with a naked couple
who were unashamed
and
I know a great deal has
happened
since then
but
God
I’d really like to know you
I’d really like to have
you know
a real conversation
my needs
well
they feel sharp today
and
you know there are problems elsewhere
too
and if we talked
and you gave me directions
then
I’d know how
to follow
though
I don’t how to build an ark
or lead anyone through any kind of
desert
but then
the orders you gave were new
to Noah
and
to Moses
or Deborah or Judith
who lived by calling and by prayer
and maybe found one through the other
which
I guess
means
something
for disembodies prayer
and
I so wanted to say
the books
the formal worship
aren’t enough
and
they’re not
but openness to ask and then to listen
or to listen to myself then ask
of you
I guess these could be enough
they would be like talking
like a conversation
after
all
sigh
all right
I’ll try
and though I could not wrestle with an angel
maybe
we could talk a little plainer
time to time
and I won’t ask for garden miracles
though
in the clouds or something
I could guess at least
in
something of
your presence
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photo by Alistair MacRobert on Unsplash
rich
(not Buddy though the music’s cool)
if I can’t
know God’s will
though I ask
then
maybe it’s not that I should give up
asking but
that I should change the asking
its parameters
per se
to know that God is there and hearing
and speaking as God might
in large and infinitesimal ways
and
I don’t get it
Well
I don’t
and can ask pardon for my not being attuned
but still wanting to serve
like Merton’s famous prayer
I guess
about not know direction but hoping
that a willingness to travel by approval
might
bring approval
even pleasure
from the Lord who
then
might speak if Thomas and I and all
who aren’t in synch
might go
not recklessly
since
we have our codes and liturgies
for attending and asking
best we can
formally
and then to stay in dialogue
the spirit of it
anyway
to say
like Tevye
maybe
that and to indicate at first
that it’s okay to talk
to ask
to guess and to complain
even to posit
being wealthy people
though wealth is relative by kind
and
degree and following
and maybe
wealth is having daughters and a village
on the edge
and
rich to have our lives in love and faith
you know
by God
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Thomas Merton’s well-known prayer begins: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe the desire to please You does in fact please You. . . .”
Buddy Rich was a famous, fantastic drummer.
photo by Vitalii Khodzinskyi on Unsplash
a freeing prayer
honestly
for
today by yesterday
and with a hope against
tomorrow
I can’t breathe
and
I can breathe poorly
while I hope you might regenerate
inhale
and exhale
by nature and by spirit
and
how all might work together
toward a happiness
from you
and then like angels
seek and take
our
earnest assignments
open
anywhere
and so
plea
prayer
toward affirmation that we’re made and that
we’re sent like missions
in love
inside
outside
growing
to reconnoiter
(Joshua and Caleb)
then
to service
fixing
a breaking world
by action understood
and
or
by stillness of hearts
amen
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(I’m afraid the state of my poor breathing is both earthly and spiritual; maybe you in the world with me have your ongoing challenges, labors from challenges as well)
photograph by Josh Applegate via Unsplash
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