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More Prayers from the Ark
This is a wonderful book of poems by French writer Carmen Bernos de Gasztold, written during the grim years of the Second World War. Noah and a representative group of animals offer their own style of prayer, some funny, some sad, some full of hope, all brief and fresh.
The book is readily available secondhand - just Google for it. There is a new edition too which also includes "The Creatures' Choir".
I've purchased and given away 2 copies, and have a third copy for myself. Because of copyright I can only give a fragment as a sample, so here is a piece of the Ox's prayer
"Dear God, Men are always so driven. Make then understand that I can never move quickly..."
Here are my own contributions in a similar style:-
Dear Lord,
I am slow they say;
Keep the Ark open while I come.
Keep me from careless feet
That crush my delicately woven shell,
A thing of delight to all Mathematicians!
Then shell and all will say
...Amen
Dear God,
Thank You for the sweet milk
And the sweet grass,
And for my flock whose bleats calm my timid fears.
Thank You for young legs that leap,
And when they wander let Your Shepherd always find me.
...Amen
Free Clipart www.ace-clipart.com
Dear God,
Truly my bark is now worse than my bite:
My strength is gone -
I can no longer round up the sheep.
Let Your strength be my unfailing hope
And Your Shepherd my unfailing Friend,
While I feebly wag my tail in quiet joy.
...Amen
Dear God,
You Who made man from the dust,
have pity on a poor broken shell,
washed up on the shore.
Good for nothing, except,
perhaps,
if you place me to Your ear,
You may hear the faint murmur of the ocean waves
of Your own great love.
Take me up, and let the waves
carry me along,
and drop me where it is my delight to be,
even at Your feet forever.
...Amen
adapted from "Morning and Evening" by CH Spurgeon, April 12
Dear God,
You Who made everything
said at one time,
when you entered the deepest of dark holes,
"I am a worm and no man".
Yet since the trees and rivers
may clap their hands
and the hills may sing for joy,
Even a worm may wriggle joyfully
to Your great Praise.
...Amen
(inspired by Psalm 22, Psalm 98 and Isaiah 55)
Dear God,
Nine lives they say, but all too short
to watch all wonders you have made;
leaves and birds, lizards, crickets,
fluttering, scampering, chirping.
Now I scamper little, my lot seems to be
to sit on my old chair in serenity,
which soon turns to sleep.
When I awake to purr in your arms
let me see birds of Paradise.
...Amen
Dear Lord,
Just when I have become comfortable in my little pond
You send the rain, the creek floods,
And sweeps me away to another brief place of comfort.
Why do You do it, You Who take thought for the sparrows?
Is it that, when I grow feet,
I may climb to safety upon Your Rock?
...Amen
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