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What Do We Pray For

(x = space)

x

x

What Do We Pray For

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Say something to us

Please

What we want

To hear

Might be nice

But when we know

When we turn the wheel

And this turns up

As consciousness

We know

Our self-deceits

Or can

Or maybe that’s just it

We need some freedom

From ourselves

Something

In a gospel message

Breaking through

(shining a little?)

Our conceits

Both kinds

x

Our designs

Are based on pi

We calculate

We cannot calculate

But must have things

Anyway

And so the n

And so the sigma

All the unending

Sequences

That long before

The ether part

We count

And build

Move in

And have our castles

In the mind

And everything in fact

Upon the Earth

And orbiting

Around

And for a while now

Our trips

Through the planets

Now hoping to evangelize

A neighbor star

x

So many ways we build

On unknowing

And the consequential

Binding ourselves

To our ideas

To our agendas

And to hiding them

Our civilized

Transgression

x

Maye a word of clarity

Then

Maybe

Maybe a smidgeon

Of what’s real

Delivered in a jiff

Or honesty

Yeah

Maybe we could take that

Please

And thank you

We mean

(we want

to mean it)

Amen

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Dhilip Antony on Unsplash

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Contritions

(x = space)

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Contritions

x

I don’t know what else to say

I wish I could resort

To the Bible better

I wish I knew

The right way to pray

Rather than the stabs I take

To try

I wish I were more righteous

In the right way

I think there is a right way

x

But you are there

And I am here

And you are here

With angels to assist

I know

Beyond a fancy

More than because

I’m supposed to

x

I believe

Because I do

And my choice doesn’t affect

At all

Your existence

My choice important

Faith to allow the grace

Free sacrifice

To hold

Even take root

And grow

x

But what am I

Nothing of

A Gospel hero

Let alone the older tales

Or new ones

What shall I give to you

You don’t already have

And more

And better

But that the slip of self

The folded leaf along the vein

Whose only purpose left

In fall

Is falling

x

But that you want me

Anyway

Though I find wanting

Every way

A scary thing

That is the lesson of the world

Through splintering experience

x

You can bring enough

Together

I know this

And enough might be enough

I’ll pray

I’ll try to read

To comprehend

The wisdom

Or maybe

Just enough

Justly to pray

Enough salvation

For today

Should you come by night

And then by night

Like heart attacks

Frightening

To take me home

x

C L Couch

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Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

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dedication holy

(x = space)

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dedication holy

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do we love these people?

yes, we do

each one

every one

you have made it this far

now let us go with you

in everything

all circumstances

light and shadow

as God is there

we commit

to be there, too

x

(add now

our prayers and meditations

from our

part of the family

new fam’ly

for the one)

x

amen

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Daniel Seßler on Unsplash

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“The Smallest Things,” “Peace Relative”

(x = space)

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The Smallest Things

x

It’s cold

There is a blanket

There are enough things

For morning coffee

And toast

For breakfast later on

There is sunlight

So our whole planet

Has another

Day

There is water

I can drink

x

I can wash things

I can

Wash me

x

I have trash

Lined up in bags

Somewhere to take it

I have other piles

(boxes)

By the door

That should I have the

Help

Can go away

Be useful for others who

Might need some things

I had

x

My

Neighbors

Beat the ceiling

But there are no literal explosions

We are lucky

We have things

We can share

When

We want to

We can live in peace relative

To what’s inside

But peace for war

All

The same

x

C L Couch

x

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Peace Relative

x

Relative to war

And to shutting doors

To keep things out

As if

We hadn’t seen or heard them

Once before

Or every day

x

Relative to shining in

With sunlight

Rather than

Explosives

Something negligent

Or something planned

x

Maybe not peace everywhere

Not yet

And peace organic

Certainly not remaining

Only

Peace from graves

x

Gravesides are pretty

And they’re quiet,

Mostly

We can do so much better

We should

We must

x

We want

To be there

At the end

And how about

A single turning page

Into the story of

Today?

x

Be there for that

Lift each other

The greater adventure

Is not war

Or even matter turned to energy

(it should go

the other way around)

But matters

Of the story

Withheld until we know

We have

Today

x

Next chapter

Please God

Please

Each other

Please

Let’s have the next

Have the next

Now

x

Now

Now

And now

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Nowshad Arefin on Unsplash

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Prayer Practicing

(x = space)

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Prayer Practicing

x

The best place to pray

Is at church

Or at home

Or in the car

Or on the sidewalk

(watch your

step)

Or beneath a tree

Or inside a tree,

Having climbed

Up

x

With others

Or all alone

Or with numbers

In between

One and many

x

On a farm

Or in a skyscraper

On the water

On a hillside

Atop a mountain

In the valley

At the entrance to a desert

Far within

x

While walking

While

Sitting still

x

So anywhere

And when you’re feeling

Where is

Nowhere

x

Amen

x

C L Couch

x

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View of Mount Cook, circa 1930, New Zealand, by Margaret Stoddart.

Photo by Museum of New Zealand – Te Papa Tongarewa on Unsplash

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to pray

(x = space)

x

x

to pray

x

not wishful thinking

not wishes

maybe wishes

maybe where your wants

and mine

and ours

might come together as if this were

how a point of light

in the sky at night

were made

x

we might accomplish this

our wishes changed

our wants intersect

so that

there is something like justice

and like mercy

x

both humility

and confidence

in faith

amen

x

c l couch

x

x

Photo by Tyler Jamieson Moulton on Unsplash

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Sometimes Agnostically Yours

(x = space)

x

x

Sometimes Agnostically Yours

x

God, what shall I pray

To you?

I’m sorry for my sins

And I mean that

I ask for forgiveness that

Frankly

I struggle in receiving

x

I ask for daily bread

That might be

Bread

Or

Something else

I need

Pretty much right now

x

And I shall wait

Probably

Pretty badly

While I wait

x

Since need often

Feels punished

And faith

Is much

From an invisible God

To wait for

x

And yet

Stones for bread

Is inhumane

And undivine

And so

I’ll try to anticipate

Exactly the right thing

Provided

x

Sorry

Thank you

Amen

x

C L Couch

x

x

Matthew 6:9

x

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

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Mille Grazie per Preghiera

(x = space)

x

x

Mille Grazie per Preghiera

x

I feel as if

I should offer

A prayer

To God

For something

x

Gratitude

Confession

Promise or

At least desire

To do better

x

Petition,

Intercession

Plus my own things

x

I’m not sure

How that’s the praise

That’s called for

While it seems

Mostly like complaining

x

Except to say thank you;

Maybe there’s praise

In that

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash

x

sorry for any Italian language that I broke

x

thank you

x

2

We Need You and Sometimes We Can’t

(x = space)

x

x

We Need You and Sometimes We Can’t

x

Help us to love you,

O Lord,

Though

You may live without us

x

Still, we can exist

Together

In a bond that is

Extraordinary:

Of energy, of will,

Of love without agenda,

All around

x

It’s hard to love invisibly

With thoughts and feelings

We can’t see

And then

Your presence, Lord

x

With things unseen

And unevidenced

In other ways,

Our senses confounded

For lack of usefulness

The kind employed in what we do

In anything—and

How may we

Sense you?

x

There is stigmata for a few

And apparitions;

There are those

Who hear your words

In air

Or those emblazoned

Understood

Upon the heart

x

We want to know;

We get frustrated

Then we worry

For offense

(offending God does not seem smart)

Or we give up

Ignore

And in internal ways

We walk away

x

But you are there

We should believe

And within parameters

Of material and abstract

Hope for more

x

That on this side

We may have in measures

That will have to do

For life

And faith

And all the things we have to do

To make things better

One by one

And altogether

x

Tolerance

And patience

Peace

And feeding

Giving water

Giving hope for more

In all the needs of life

(material and abstract)

x

Help us, Lord,

Or let us help ourselves

And the others;

Be with us

And invisibly

Leave us to choose

In respect

Of how we’re made

And otherwise arranged

Our will

That we often apply well

Even without

Preternatural accoutrements

Composing a few rituals

For service

Pledging how to live

On our own

x

C L Couch

x

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Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

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