To rise again tomorrow
I blocked my ears, so as not to hear the bells toll on and on
And covered my eyes so as not to see
The long, long procession
of army jeeps and freezer trucks
Carrying precious cargo
No graveside prayers, no “dust to dust”
As contagion cancelled all tradition
No floral bouquets, no wreaths of green
Or hymns sang loud and clearly
No eulogy, no words at all
Save those whispered in anguished voice imprisoned
By grieving souls in isolation
So, bless these bodies, God, we pray
And bring us consolation
For loved ones gone
For those left behind
Who grieve without help or closure
It’s been one hundred years or more
Since our world’s seen such calamity
Or felt so deeply forsaken
We need you now, more than ever, Lord
Please hasten to our aid
Please dry these bitter tears
And If I may prevail, dear God,
Protect us from all fears
Renew our weakened faith,
And lend to us your powerful strength
To rise again tomorrow
This is beautiful and poignant, Carol. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. It is hard to put into words all the emotions this pandemic has given rise to, but I had to try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, absolutely perfect! Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
After seeing so many heart breaking images from around the world I had to do something with the grief it was summoning in me, and I’m sure in countless others. I cannot imagine how difficult (to say the least) it must be to lose a loved one and not even be able to be with family members to mourn the loss.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on Stine Writing and commented:
I found this perfectly beautiful. Thank you Carol for this prayer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so very much and thank you for the reblog
LikeLiked by 1 person
A heartfelt prayer. 🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very eloquently expressed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. It is such a tragic situation…..
LikeLike
Beautifully written. Terribly sad though! I’ve a lump in my throat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you – I tried to make sure the heading would be a warning – I know these are terribly solemn and sad times, but it is how I exorcise my own feelings which have been overwhelmed by news from around the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person