A Way of Praying

                                                  Yet: through the ages,
                                                   the fingering of small beads
                                                   is nothing unusual.
                                                         —Barbara Mahany


To cross a stream step on flat stones,
count them like rosary beads—
each one a piece of the water's story
Collect pebbles washed in water colors—
store them in your cupped hands
They turn into light-shifters
when moistened with light
Find shells with holes, string
a shell, a clay bead, another shell
Create a necklace to wear—
finger each shape before
dancing like Miriam
offering praise