Like Breath by Lesley-Anne Evans

“…be glad-hearted continually; Be unceasing in prayer…”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The prayer of a flock of pigeons

spaced equally along thin wire.

The prayer of arms pushing 

a broom, sweeping a mind clean.

The prayer of the sun blessing 

late afternoon lawn with long shadows.

The prayer of the rising white light of moon.

The prayer of a mother rocking 

her feverish child, and a husband

waiting in the emergency room, and the prayer 

of a dog finding a patch of sun big enough to nap in.

The prayer of distant and intimate views— 

a flower welcoming a ravishing bee, 

a shoreline wrecked by the love of waves.

My prayer at the end of this sentence,

last word, last breath, 

held.

Lesley-Anne Evans' poetry has been commissioned and performed as opera, cantata, and is published widely in periodicals, including CV-2, The Antigonish Review, Barren Magazine, Presence Journal, and Faith Today. Her work is also awarded. Lesley-Anne's debut poetry collection, Mute Swan, Poems for Maria Queen of the World, was published by the St. Thomas Poetry Series (Toronto) in 2021. She lives a quiet life at Feeny Wood, with her partner and two dogs, in the company of wild things.  https://laevans.ca/  https://www.feenywood.ca/