permission to pray on our own
I might not have said of
God
directly
how many pages should be read
and then
recited
for the people
what colors robes
to match the season
or may I say somewhere
dear God
say what is real to me
and
then
amen
however I should say that
given language
dialect
or situation
and between these
will you hear my love
of others
and
respond
accordingly with my knowing or
unknowing
what
or how
c l couch
photo by Roman Melnychuk on Unsplash
Dragobrat, Драгобрат, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine
a poem for a prayer, a poem of a real story with (by me) a made-up lyric
first light
God
I ask again
for steps out of the pit
for evil to be vanquished
(the
antique word)
if only enough for
daylight enough when a
last step is taken
and
even gray daylight
for a shadowed kind of existence
might
be reached
good
enough
evil down enough
to raise me up
with all good comrades
here
(good perhaps another antique
word)
enough
if once street-level
we might
if
we may
talk with you some
more
the time when Seamus Heaney had to write something
(based on a story he told us)
she said
on arriving at the party
to find that
everyone had brought a gift
to the poet
well
go upstairs and write something
and then
I suppose he read
to us
what we had written
for the family
and in particular the baby
as in
you are born
and now you are named
you have been christened and so
liturgically
official
and we glad to know
what
to call you
for first your parents have decided
though
the law of nicknames might
apply
welcome
baby
from the mind of God
into the world
earthly and when things are allied
celestial
(Heaney visited the school, not yet a Nobel laureate)
c l couch
photo by Tony Litvyak on Unsplash
As Honestly as Able
(praying)
God
As honestly as I am able
I do pray
For people
As in
As for
The thumping child upstairs
With the thumping
Mother
Keep them
And I’ll try to mean not as the Czar
So far
Away
(the rabbi’s prayer from the musical)
And
Yeah
I’ll pray for politicians
Too
And try to think of something loving to ask
For them
If not
Of them
And
Yes
The secret world
Behind the visible where people
Meet and think
To plan
To execute
The running of the rest
The visible
Unhiding world
God
Be with all or us and we should say
According to you will
And
Of course we should
I’m sorry
That’s confession that I think
So hard of things sometimes or wish to
Re-create if
Never
In my image
Yours being
Glorious enough
I hear
Because how glorious is
Perfection
Friends
Families
My own adversaries
Keep
Them all wherever
However you
Deem
Because you’re deeming’s good
Being
In fact
The best
Amen
C L Couch
Photo by Javier Ortiz on Unsplash
No Amens Required
(prayers, devotions for occasions)
reach
thank you
God
for today
as it is
in these smooth hours
even before
everything gets difficult
again
Say
God
What shall we say that you
Provide
And is the cost
Belief
Or does
Grace mean
That everything is
Free
And
Do you love us
Anyway
And
Do you love the ones we know
Are evil
Or merely corrupted
Even in their prosperity
Good
And
Evil
We may not think on these
We might
Instead
By getting by
Or
Trying to
And could we
Ask
We’d only ask for this
And leave the larger matters
Maybe
Well
Maybe
Up to you
Sorry a Tired Prayer
(if not fed-up)
Lord
You made me this say
And the world
And my own
Mistakes
I guess
And I don’t know
Not that I wouldn’t own
But what should I
Own
And what is the fault of
Something else
And
I don’t know
Except
I’m tired of the way things are
Thinking
Peace
Would be preferred
Even over love
For an ambition
Even
A dream from which a plan
To get me
There
A confession
Maybe
An asking
Without doubt
Because
I hope
At least
You’ll do it
Grant me what I need
I don’t mean to ask it
As a wish
Before a genie
Having
Shined a
Lamp
You are not Loki or the
Raven
And yet
Christ might inherit all the qualities
Of
Fools
Which might mean tricksters
And
Who knows
Maybe the world is a trick
From which we wake
Or which is
Ours
To change
And yet
Sigh
Maybe I have some peace
Maybe too old
In age of spirit
Too
Exhausted to
Ask for
More
And yet I’ll pledge
To take
My part in it somehow
shall I say to you
(even daring to assure)
what shall I say to you today
dear
reader
responder
to hang on
or to glory in prosperity
(the second maybe
I don’t need
to
emphasize)
but God smile on you
anew
if it seems not ongoing
be with you
and love you through everything
the easy
and the strong
that seems against
you
the stable
if it’s good
or that which shatters
we must believe
because
it must
God be with you through it all
and God is
C L Couch
Photo by Dmytro Bayer on Unsplash
First and Last Resort
I pray
And maybe I don’t know how
There is the famous prayer
To pray
And I pray that
Though am prone to leave it
To formality
In
The attending crowd
But how about from
Me
To you
I can pray anything
I know
I can say anything
You hear
You love
Even forbear
And shall be disappointed
Even angry
Maybe even punishing
On this
Side
(like the claws on her back
in
The Horse and His Boy)
I now it’s not a trick
A puzzle
To get right
One
Way with all the right pieces won
As at a contest
Or a fair
Hit with the hammer to show
Enough strength
Water
The clown
‘Til the balloon above should
Pop
Not a
Competition
Not at all
Like
These
May I say
I love you
And I need you
Don’t know
How
But anyway
And will you help
Even teach
To love and need
The
Others’
And my own
And is it bifurcated
The other’s wish
And
Mine
Fate even
Direction
What is shared
And what must be
My own
Though God
I have been on my own
Enough
(and
maybe the other
has
or hasn’t)
How shall I pray for these
Except
To keep it simple
Even humble as in
Without the dross of vanity
For
Distraction
From what’s true
Like the
Unencumbered arrow
And the target
Might be
Resolution
Shot with grace
The arc toward the center
Near
Enough
Perhaps
Being a newbie always
So it seems
Even practiced
For I pray so much to you
And
Still it seems
I only start
And if we mean it
Should be good
Amen
C L Couch
Photo by Isabella Fischer on Unsplash
Promised Responding
And what
Shall
Happen
When we hear
Like Horton
(only
louder)*
We are here
Meaning
The host of heaven
Small and gargantuan
Depending on
Dimension
And
Dimension’s need
Ready
When we beckon
Or soaring ready
In flight mode
Or on the ground in
Angel
Ranks
Maybe loving us
On fine days
Merely
Or to have to march
(or land)
Upon
Megiddo
To realize apocalypse
And fight for us on
Our side
Meaning the side of all
The believers
Not through possession of
The pride
Of
Victory
So much as that love
By appreciation on
That fine day
C L Couch
(Horton Hears a Who is cited)
Photo by Katarina Dodig on Unsplash
“My favourite street corner in Dubrovnik” (photographer’s caption).
*(still, still small voice)
We Pray This Day
(to play)
God
Hear us today
We ask
In this gray day
Regardless
To have clarity
In you
Not
To know everything
But know enough
And suss
Enough
And feel it through
So that all of us
And
All inside
The major strings are played
And we make sense as
Instruments of
Harmony
To play for you in service
And in pleasure
Goodness(!)
Goodness
Pleasing you
While
Heaven’s performance
Shall be
So much better
Than our own and
Yet
Somehow
Coelic symphony
Conductor
To welcome
Someday
Our auditions
Amen
(and together)
Amen
C L Couch
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
(human epilogue)
Sorry
Children
“Play” above
Means
Play as instruments
As we are instruments
Of the will
And in service of
The Lord
But God is not thoroughly
A spoilsport
And neither should
Liturgical leadership
Deny
That the play outside
Or inside
For sport is
Sanctioned
Too
If not at worship
Well
Before
Or after
If playing well
And God-approved
(and so
this way in
play
we pray)
Amen
(play ball)
Trap
Lord
I could apologize
For asking you
But when the walls are high
And windows small
And light and air
Feel gone
When the need is big
My prison small
With no one
Else attending
So it seems
Whom may I talk to
Anytime
Who without fail with hear me
And regarding the biggest
Fails
And needs in life
Will hear me
And attend
Who will hear me
And respond
Even if the answer is
Endure
And I can question worthiness
With reason
Beyond the point that
No one is deserving
Which moves us
To the place of grace and miracle
That some
Believe they market
By possessing
First
When it is only you
Makes and dispenses
These
And we should honor that
And honor you
With our humility
Brought
To the front
From where we hid it
Last
So without vanity
Even from challenged hope
I ask
Without apology
I guess
For your response
To my exigent situation
The honest need
Take care of
Leaving my vanity
Alone
Please
Thank you
With love
Amen
C L Couch
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
On Waking
How do I wake through prayer
Or other measure
How do I know that you are there
Providing
Yes
Providing
In the pit of pain
Along an indifferent street
Or here
Surrounded by the stress of other people
While my own seems
Toppling enough
Be with me
Lord
And all of us
I must ask you to give
I guess the daily bread
Knowing
The cross should be enough
When I think on that
And sorry
I must ask for more
C L Couch
Photo by Syed Ali on Unsplash
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