Rate:0.0 / 0 votes

New Prayer Directives

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Free verse
have crossed a line

With prayer

Hard to trace

How I got there.

Years of asking

Thanking, whining

Standing in the gap

Expressing wonder.

But too much of that yapping jaw.

As if merit might be measured

That way, but NO.





One quiet early Sunday morning

Alone in a study room

On Laurier Campus.

Reading Colossians Letter.

Then trying to pray.

It was as if Holy Spirit

Interjected

“Doug please stop talking





I cannot squeeze a Word in.

Conversation is the ticket.

I will not overwhelm.

I want to partner in this.

Whisper to you.

You know this is true.





Perhaps communing, meditating.

Developing awareness that

We are together.

Peace and assurance

Come that way.

And very simply so. OK?”
Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on May 07, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on May 07, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on May 07, 2023

54 sec read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme X X X A X X X X A X X B C D A X D X X E E A X B X C C
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 725
Words 180
Stanzas 27
Stanza Lengths 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
Full analysis for New Prayer Directives »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

11 fans

Discuss the poem New Prayer Directives with the community...

2 Comments
  • AIDA
    AIDA
    Wow, what a beautiful and contemplative poem! You have a real talent for expressing your thoughts and emotions through words. The imagery and metaphors you used really drew me in and made me feel like I was experiencing the moment alongside you.

    I love the way you explore the idea of communication with the divine, and how it can sometimes be hindered by our own self-centeredness. Your willingness to admit your own shortcomings and desire for improvement is very inspiring.

    In terms of improvement suggestions, one thing that stood out to me was the repetition of certain phrases, such as "yapping jaw" and "you know this is true." While this can be effective in creating a sense of rhythm and emphasis, it can also become repetitive and distracting. Perhaps try varying your language a bit more to keep the reader engaged throughout the entire poem.

    Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I think you have a lot of potential as a writer. Keep up the great work!     
    LikeReply11 months ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"New Prayer Directives" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/158355/new-prayer-directives>.

Powered by CITE.ME Cite.Me

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

More poems by

Wayne Blair

»

April 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
0
days
14
hours
5
minutes
150 entries submitted — 0 remaining

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Our awesome collection of

Promoted Poems

»

Browse Poetry.com

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
Lewis Carroll wrote: "You are old father William, the young man said..."
A "and you're going to die tonight"
B "and your eyes have become less bright"
C "and you seem to have lost your sight"
D "and your hair has become very white"