Prayer  for  the Living

Please,
remove the weight
from our backs
so those who can
will stand tall
and reach to keep
others from falling

into the bitterness of no return
the hopelessness that makes dreams
howl like witch winds
at the should-be-open doors
the fear that passes understanding
one to another, each to each

and the displaced courage that says
“It doesn’t matter  what I do or say,
the one I love will be here,
and be okay.”