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A Prayer for the Hopeless

Artwork of two women as shadows facing each other
 
Holy Source of Mystery,
Breath of my ancestors who struggled through war, famine, despair and pain
and lived
Breath of my ancestors who struggled through war, famine, despair and pain
and died
Each of you has wisdom to offer in this moment
 
To those who lived:
How did you know when to go?
What made you stay?
How did you get through the day when all around you was falling apart?
What strength made you pick up and flee – board the ship, cross the mountain, hide?
Help me find your strength to endure
Breath by breath, step by step into the cascading violence and the uncertain future
 
To those who died:
How did you know when to go?
What beckoned you to the other side?
Was it choice
or forced upon you?
What strength got you through those last hours, those last minutes?
Did you even know it was coming?
Did you crouch in fear?
Were you alone or holding tight to a loved one?
Did it hurt?
Was it quick?
 
Endless Depth of Uncertainty
Help my eyes be clear
My heart be open
My mind be mine
And my courage be what is needed in the moment

 

Beloved ancestors who struggled through war, famine, despair and pain
Who walked this brief human journey
And lived 
And died
Help me find my place in the universe next to the blade of grass
The pebble on the beach
Let me remember my breath on the wind as
Fragile
Fleeting
Precious
 
 
‘When all the stars are bombs,’ artwork by the poet
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