Let It Be You

prayer-poems by Kevin John Hart

Prayer is poetry taken to the limit, speech turned toward the unsayable. To speak to God. Imagine that! But what can one say to God? At its deepest level a true prayer says nothing at all, simply 'yes' and — as Jacques Derrida has reminded us— “yes” to that “yes.”

Kevin John Hart

PRAYER
O come, in any way you want, 
In morning sunlight fooling in the leaves 
Or in thick bouts of rain that soak my head 

Because of what the darkness said 

Or come, though far too slowly for my eye to see, 
Like a dark hair that fades to gray
Come with the wind that wraps my house 
Or winter light that slants upon a page 

Because the beast is stirring in its cage

Or come in raw and ragged smells 
Of gumleaves dangling down at noon 
Or in the undertow of love 
When she's away 

Because a night creeps through the day

Come as you used to, years ago, 
When I first fell for you 
In the deep calm of an autumn morning
Beginning with the cooing of a dove

Because of love, the lightest love

Or if that's not your way these days
Because of me, because 
Of something dead in me, 
Come like a jagged knife into my gut 

Because your touch will surely cut 

Come any way you want 
But come. 

Prayer is the Sword (2) 2022