Prayer

A Blend of All That's Been.

Upon my pillow, softly tonight,
I lay my head
And let my mind wander
to see what will be said.

And searching for my first remembrance,
I travel back in time.
The journey is a winding one
that puts my mind in a bind.

Sifting back through endless thought,
pictures fill my aching brain.
One by one they pass me by
like a long, long freight train.

That one is so funny.
That one is so sad.
Should I look into that one
that is hidden in the bag?

So I rub my head and ponder long
upon these memories past.
Upon which of the fleeting thoughts
should my attention cast?

I feel the pull of many
which are draped in black.
My mind screams,
“Stay covered! I do not want you back!”

Sunlit ones pop in and out.
A smile comes to my face.
Then there are the loving ones
surrounded by white lace.

Then the pictures in my mind
conjure a new scene:
All the memories falling, one by one,
into a stormy sea.

Black drape, sunny, white lace...
They are all part of me.
They are tossed and turned
in this stormy sea.

So see me, my friends,
as I stand,
A blend of all that’s been.

Memories bright and beautiful,
Memories that are dim.

They have made me
what I am today,
Sometimes strong
and sometimes weak.

But even blended all together,
It is their wisdom
that I seek.

So don’t fret
if you can’t remember
your very first conscious thought.

For all of them together
is the life’s lesson
they have taught.

— Original poetry by Prayer Chaplain Jeanetta Davis