simply say a prayer

By Jackie Ayala, Staff Writer

It’s hard to simply say a prayer

When you struggle to breathe,

And struggle to understand the world.

To get told to simply say a prayer

Gives you nothing when you need more.

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You let go of old values,

The ideas you grew up with

As a child at mass.

Your religion feels like a lie, a hoax.

But it stays inside you.

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One sin.

One small sin.

To fix it you’re told to

Simply say a prayer for

God has to forgive.

But do you forgive yourself?

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Does prayer help you forgive?

The guilt stays inside you rotting,

Waiting until it can consume you.

To simply say a prayer

Does nothing to get rid of the hole.

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How many sins can one make

Before you can’t undo it?

Where do you turn when

You have no one?

Simply say a prayer.