Winged Prayer

A prayer came on wings

for me,

all at once I could not see

the desert of my heart,

the saguaro,

that me

with its thorns

ceased to be;

spiritual awareness

lit up everything,

cupped hands

filled with mercy
from petals and leaves

spread its wings,

took off in the sky

and landed on my soul

in a shower of light.

Like a fulfilling kite,

that whisper

reached far 
and inside brought a whiff of inner delight,

the dimmed flame was fanned

to dance more brightly;

my mind stopped to think,

breathless emotions

in a speechless tide,

because I could perceive,
the wave was me,

stirred up and ruffled

by a love wind.

Some friends went on a pilgrimage to few temples in Madurai, India…

When they came back I was told that for all that day they had said a prayer for me wherever they went, while they offered flowers, leaves and ghee lamps to the Deities of each temple they toured. 

I thought back, reflecting on my feelings on that day, and recalled there was indeed a nuanced difference to how I felt. Those feelings then found their way out of my heart and into this short poem.

I feel it is important to share how powerful the prayers we say for others are, and how it is uplifting and inspiring for both those who utter the prayers and those for whom they pray, as a connection of the heart at once blossoms.