Prayers

by Jeffrey Burghauser (January 2023)


Woodland Prayer
, Egon Schiele, 1915

 

On Waking

Darkness disperses as a dune
Of tiny crabs is parted by
The shadow of a little girl.

I thank You, Merciful, Eternal King,
Who’s given back my soul to me, with love.
May I maintain unbent awareness of
My purpose, and appreciate the shrewd,
Humane, vitality-delivering,
Divine regard beneath which it’s pursued.

 

 

A Father’s Psalm

Voice #1:

A father’s psalm. Some hungers sting appallingly. O listen, lad: When sorrows find inside the fun a burning grove of sandalwood … when Love arrives like contraband, discreetly wrapped, its seal embossed … do listen, for, at eventide, the heavens say: “When Mercy’s just, and Justice kind, I’m present. Turn to Me. I must be Him.”

 

Voice #2:

O what a fearful thing
It is to witness the
Formation of a bad
Relationship with your
Beloved eldest son:
That constellation of
Contingencies & good
Intentions, of indulged
Parental instincts and
Advice acquired at
Extensive-seeming cost,
Securing his contempt—
The spite that shall abide
The balance of his days.
Your present moment must
Bizarrely constitute
The boy’s eternity.

 

 

Polyphony

[A father’s psalm.] O what a fearful thing
It is to witness the [Some hungers sting
Appallingly.] formation of a bad
Relationship with your [O listen, lad:
When Sorrows find] beloved eldest son:
That constellation of [inside the fun
A burning grove] contingencies & good
Intentions, of indulged [of sandalwood,
When Love arrives] parental instincts and
Advice acquired at [like contraband,
Discreetly wrapped,] extensive-seeming cost,
Securing his contempt—[its seal embossed,
Do listen, for,] the spite that shall abide
The balance of his days. [at eventide,
The heavens say:] Your present moment must
Bizarrely constitute [“When Mercy’s just,
And Justice kind, I’m present. Turn to Me.
I must be Him.”] the boy’s eternity.

 

Table of Contents

 

Jeffrey Burghauser is a teacher in Columbus, OH. He was educated at SUNY-Buffalo and the University of Leeds. He currently studies the five-string banjo with a focus on pre-WWII picking styles. A former artist-in-residence at the Arad Arts Project (Israel), his poems have appeared (or are forthcoming) in Appalachian Journal, Fearsome Critters, Iceview, Lehrhaus, and New English Review. Jeffrey’s book-length collections are available on Amazon, and his website is www.jeffreyburghauser.com.

Follow NER on Twitter @NERIconoclast

image_pdfimage_print

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

New English Review Press is a priceless cultural institution.
                              — Bruce Bawer

Order here or wherever books are sold.

The perfect gift for the history lover in your life. Order on Amazon US, Amazon UK or wherever books are sold.

Order on Amazon, Amazon UK, or wherever books are sold.

Order on Amazon, Amazon UK or wherever books are sold.

Order on Amazon or Amazon UK or wherever books are sold


Order at Amazon, Amazon UK, or wherever books are sold. 

Order at Amazon US, Amazon UK or wherever books are sold.

Available at Amazon US, Amazon UK or wherever books are sold.

Send this to a friend