The Prayer of Presence

Photo by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash

Loud chirping from an unseen singer
 Blue jay snaps a dead branch from the crepe myrtle and flies it over to the pine
 Two large black cats, one fluffy and one sleek, lying on my lap
 Wind stirring up sound in the trees
 White-grey opaqueness hiding blue
 Mosquitoes, sparse but present
 The hope of green springing from the damp ground
 And wildflowers, dainty white ones with yellow centers
 Early buds on the oaks and jasmine
 Pecan trees still waiting
 Sky-fliers determined to sing in a new season
 One dove cooing, and a woodpecker finding breakfast
 Breeze now enough to awaken the chimes
 Tiny, brown bird hopping and offering an intermittent “peep”
 Light changing as cloud curtains hang dark
 Now drops, like fingers tapping insistently, then ceasing their urgency
 And I, writing out my prayer of attention and appreciation
 awake to this moment in gratitude
 for Life’s expressions and the fragrance of incense
 Focusing on this one Now, this one Love
 Affirming the Good
 Proclaiming, “holy, holy, holy!”
 Rejecting nothing, but embracing clear vision to see the Truth
 of how woundedness taints perspective
 and receptive benevolence heals it

Engaging With The Poem

 Poetry can be a doorway to the soul and your own creativity. Throughout the ages, the written word has been used as a means to access personal truth and as a vehicle for prayer through the practice of sacred reading (lectio divina). I encourage you to try this beautiful practice and let its truths to be self-evident.

 How To Practice Sacred Reading

 Read~Reflect~Respond~Rest

 READ the passage through slowly more than once, noticing how it feels in your body and the response of your heart.

 REFLECT: What word resonates with you? What phrase speaks to you? What overall personal meaning comes to you? Allow yourself to follow a tangent.

 RESPOND by making space for the prayer of your heart to manifest. Write down the words and/or phrases that resonate with you, and allow them to arrange themselves into your own poem or prayer.

 REST with your eyes closed, perhaps using the word that most resonates with you as your mantra for silent meditation.

Dear friend,

 May your mind be peaceful and calm,
 may your body be relaxed and comfortable,
 and may your heart be filled with love.

 Thank you for reading.

 Blessings and gratitude,
 Ani