Dirt Prayer

I wrote this poem quite a few years ago, and when I saw the call on Submittable for poems of peace, I thought of this. I'm pleased Inspirity published it in their Sowing Seeds of Peace, 2018 edition.

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Dirt Prayer

I dip my hands

pick up the earth

and wash the dirt

over the growing potato plants

There are muddy hands

a back bent

and the bobbing head

bowing to the life

in the polythene bags

Fervent prayer passes

the wedding band plain

with no crevice for sand

or jewel to be lost

And this is how I pray

with hair in my eyes

and dark fingers to wipe it away

This is how I pray

sun through the stands

ground in hand

This is how I pray

This is how I pray