<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Pray for Peace</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Pray to whomever you kneel down to:</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Jesus nailed to his wooden or marble or plastic cross,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">his suffering face bent to kiss you,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Buddha still under the Bo tree in scorching heat,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Adonai, Allah, raise your arms to Mary</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">that she may lay her palm on our brows,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">to Shekhina, Queen of Heaven and Earth,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">to Inanna in her stripped descent.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Hawk or Wolf, or the Great Whale, Record Keeper</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">of time before, time now, time ahead, pray. Bow down</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">to terriers and shepherds and siamese cats.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Fields of artichokes and elegant strawberries.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Pray to the bus driver who takes you to work,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">pray on the bus, pray for everyone riding that bus</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and for everyone riding buses all over the world.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">If you haven't been on a bus in a long time,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">climb the few steps, drop some silver, and pray.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Waiting in line for the movies, for the ATM,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">for your latte and croissant, offer your plea.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Make your eating and drinking a supplication.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Make your slicing of carrots a holy act,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">each translucent layer of the onion, a deeper prayer.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Make the brushing of your hair</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">a prayer, every strand its own voice,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">singing in the choir on your head.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">As you wash your face, the water slipping</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">through your fingers, a prayer: Water,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">softest thing on earth, gentleness</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">that wears away rock.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Making love, of course, is already a prayer.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Skin and open mouths worshipping that skin,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">the fragile case we are poured into,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">each caress a season of peace.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">If you're hungry, pray. If you're tired.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Pray to Gandhi and Dorothy Day.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Shakespeare. Sappho. Sojourner Truth.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Pray to the angels and the ghost of your grandfather.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">When you walk to your car, to the mailbox,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">to the video store, let each step</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">be a prayer that we all keep our legs,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">that we do not blow off anyone else's legs.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Or crush their skulls.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">And if you are riding on a bicycle</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">or a skateboard, in a wheel chair, each revolution</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">of the wheels a prayer that as the earth revolves</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">we will do <i class="">less harm, less harm, less harm</i>.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">And as you work, typing with a new manicure,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">a tiny palm tree painted on one pearlescent nail</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">or delivering soda or drawing good blood</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">into rubber-capped vials, writing on a blackboard</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">with yellow chalk, twirling pizzas, pray for peace.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">With each breath in, take in the faith of those</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">who have believed when belief seemed foolish,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">who persevered. With each breath out, cherish.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Pull weeds for peace, turn over in your sleep for peace,</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">feed the birds for peace, each shiny seed</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">that spills onto the earth, another second of peace.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Wash your dishes, call your mother, drink wine.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Shovel leaves or snow or trash from your sidewalk.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Make a path. Fold a photo of a dead child</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">around your VISA card. Gnaw your crust</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">of prayer, scoop your prayer water from the gutter.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">Mumble along like a crazy person, stumbling</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">your prayer through the streets.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Ellen Bass</div></body></html>