Release

I Pray

This poem is different and it's probably one of the most open and deep poems I've ever written. It means a lot to me, so I included a bit of a message/foreword thing before it. You don't have to read the message, but I think you'd learn some if you do. :) I hope you enjoy.

I'm not a religious person by no means. I've never been. I went to both Catholic and Christian churches as a child, and I found something I disliked. People don't practice what they preach. So, I stopped going to church. I dislike the concept of organized religion. So instead, I made my own means of praising my Lord and living this life right. I am, by no means, a perfect person. I've drank, I've lied, I have regrets. But, I have my own way of doing things, yet some people have the audacity to say I'm not doing things right. That doesn't matter to me. I've chosen to do my prayin on a mountain creek, not in a church. I've chosen to read the Bible AND the Qu'ran to see their similarities and learn from both. My father grew up as a Muslim, although he no longer goes to the mosque like he did when he was child. Instead, he taught me faith, the true meaning of faith. Faith is being kind to other people. Faith is not abusing your body and not letting others abuse it either. Faith is pulling through tough times by your bootstraps. That's faith. So if you have something against the way I'm living my life, by all means, say it. I pray to the same God as you, and in my opinion, I'm doing a damn good job of fulfilling His wishes.

~~~~~

I go up the mountain creek every now and then to pray
I sit down in my tree and look up at the sky
thanking the Lord for the beauty around me
thanking Him for his time.

Then, I pray.

I start off by thanking him for everything
my family, my friends, everyone
for giving me life
for giving me strength.

I thank Him as I pray.

I then ask for his forgiveness from my sins
the wrongs I want to make right
my regrets
my sorrows.

I ask for forgiveness when I pray.

I talk about the woman I saw on the street
begging for money
and ask the Lord to help her
and the rest like her.

I talk about others when I pray.

I tell Him about the man I saw
crying in a restaurant, as I ate my full meal
and he ate just one item
and ask Him to help him too.

I tell him what I've seen when I pray.

I ask him to help my mother
as she battles through legal issues
about her mother's home
and everything surrounding it.

My mother is always one of the people I pray for.

I ask him to help my father
with whatever he's going through
financially
emotionally.

I pray for my father.

I tell my Lord about my love
and how he's hurting and needs a little faith
to help him get through his days
to help him get through life.

I pray for the man I love.

I tell the Lord of the good things I've done
and how I'm not giving up on the man I love
how I let that man go in front of me in line
how I did all the dishes while my dad took a well deserved nap.

I talk about my accomplishments when I pray.

And I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, praying to a man who may not even exist.
I wonder if he hears my prayers.
I wonder if he'll act on them.

But I know that after I pray,
I get a little stronger,
and it gives me the strength to go do something great.

Because isn't that faith?
Persistence and patience?
Love and kindness?
Courage and bravery?

Yes. That's most definitely faith.

I get faith when I pray.