BEING IN PRAYER

by DAVID PARK

Maybe some words resonate 

and change the karmic current of fate. 

Maybe something electric about confession 

 sheds all the shame and illusions of bitter 

and biting words living under nerves. 

Maybe agony in silence is facing yourself 

 with eyes closed, hovering over the shadow

deep behind your eyes like an inner abyss 

 unformed and speechless--any word

only echoing the errors of your existence

 errors on the verge of burning through you. 

In prayer, I cup my shadow between two hands,

  creating an ore anchored to silence. 

This dark spot of the mind to be silver-lined 

  with The Spirit kindling in confession:

faith, hope, love and kindness-

incant into me new light, please, I plead to be 

 candled in the language of becoming, for my core 

to groan for words, for a sword of light to cleave 

 these hands and body, to receive the broken open pour 

of perfume gleaming from You through Me. My body, 

 a dark jar of clay dazzled with divinity, bright 

as the becoming fire breathing I am that I am

 as what is with me and was me and will be is

The Love in the beloved no longer pleading

 in maybes, no longer short of let there be

Let mercy intercede as a sparrow sings in snow-light

 that the Word has not expired into dust  

  as some stars, some other sons have

in the time I laid down my life to breathe

us becoming together being in prayer.

David is a Korean-American raised in Hawaii.