“Prayer”
by Teddy Macker
dear lord in this time of darkness
help us see the darkness
dear lord help us to not pretend
no more pretending
dear lord may our gaze be defenseless
and unshardable
teach us the piety of the open eye
dear lord in this time of darkness
may we be unafraid to mourn and together and hugely
may dignity lose its scaffolding
faces crumble like bricks
dear lord let grief come to grief
read the rest here.
Please visit Kiesha Sheperd at Whispers From the Ridge for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Reading to the Core 
Catherine, this is perfect…so perfect for today and for me today. I’m taking this poem for my Father-in-law’s service. Thank you for sharing it.
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Thank you, Catherine. Wishing that our thoughts today would mirror those every day for all who have left us this year, too. This line is one I would keep in my notebook: “may we be unafraid to mourn and together and hugel”
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Thank all that is good and right in the world for the ending of this poem!
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What an amazing poem full of hopeful images…her freckled hands. Ah, me!
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This is a beautiful poem for these days.
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This is a stunning, deeply moving, poem, Catherine. The use of the word “yet” is so powerful…the juxtaposition of crumbling, powerful, huge grief with bees in lavender and freckled hands. Oh my. I’ll be saving this one to read and read again.
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Definitely want to keep the refrain of this poem close. Thank you for sharing this prayerful poem.
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Wow…wow…wow…the poem, the whole poem, and nothing but the poem. I needed prayers today, this one and this one: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFA4SDigx3q/?igshid=1tijxhquv6lb2&fbclid=IwAR3knGse11lglVp2_Y4eQmjnPubzE0NVv2mX7zhEYYc3Ers6WUcuAnEyebg
Thank you, Catherine!
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Thanks for this deep, timely and moving poem-prayer, they help.
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