Listen

 Battling with God, 

     is now my prayer

           —Gerard Manley Hopkins

Listen,I say

Stay a moment

and let me plead my case

I read your word

Give money to the stranger

Try to control what I say,

but that doesn’t always work

Is it that I sometimes gossip

or maybe interrupt people

Perhaps I didn’t pledge enough

money or didn’t volunteer

for small tasks, or haven’t

catalogued some books 

in the church library

Did I ask for forgiveness

for the myriad wrongs

I don’t remember or those

I do remember— if so remind me

Are you bothered by what I read

Is it the murder mystery

that’s a bit too gruesome— I

can resort to cozy tales

or is it that my Prayers

are too mundane or plain

or self contained

Say so, I’ll pray for our 

leaders and the universe,

tree huggers and even those

who denigrate me but I can’t

promise I won’t grit my teeth

Tomorrow I’ll read your word

and listen for your response

I know you hear my prayers

So now let’s talk

I want a favor