I Pray Tonight
by Michael R. Burch

I pray tonight
the starry light
might
surround you.

I pray
each day
that, come what may,
no dark thing confound you.

I pray ere tomorrow
an end to your sorrow.
May angels’ white chorales
sing, and astound you.

Composer Mark Buller used the lyrics of “I Pray Tonight” in his musical composition “Erasure,” a song cycle for baritone, clarinet and piano on the theme of gun violence. “I Pray Tonight” was later performed as “Elegy” at the Hurricane Harvey Relief Concert by the Apollo Chamber Players in partnership with Musiqa Houston and Jazz Forever @ the MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston), on September 8, 2017. All proceeds went towards the Harvey Relief Funds. Keywords/Tags: Pray, prayer, angel, angels, divine, protection, safety, starry, light, mercy, grace, comfort, shield, buckler, safeguard, charm, talisman, white magic

Draw nigh
wounded starling,
dwell among
the woodland fastness;
come under its canopy,
upon the bough's
fractal patterns;
mend your wings,
rest your thoughts;
in time you too will mentor
fledglings, the jackdaws
and sand martins,
teaching them
to safely yonder fly.

I am sorry
If I hurt you

I was trying to protect you
And me
And ended up hurting
Us both

Can’t control my environment so I gotta split
I’m not afraid to admit
my anxiety is feeling legit
like I got into a fight
when I’d have rather taken flight
but the time wasn’t right
I couldn’t see the light
my chest is feeling tight
this is when I write
have my thoughts reach a new height
all in spite of tonight
I’m hoping for an invite
so that I may be so polite
as to be my own knight
and relish in delight
in exchange for my current fright

You vibrate a certain warmth
Countless hours spent under the sun couldn’t deliver
It heals my heart
Knitting the pores that drowned me
Building a shield for it
Torn only at your presence
I don’t know if you can feel your brightness
Disguising my weaknesses
Your smile is my shelter
Protecting me from the world’s sinister
When the piles of doubt fill me
Your selflessness enlightens my consciousness
You seem to know me
The kind of recognition exceeding our bodies
A pair of eyes give birth from our conversing entities
A telescope burning time and tending to our queries

When I try to understand,
The knots in my brain tighten just that little bit more.

I'm sorry we failed you.

"Can you tell me what you really feel?"

He stares into my brown eyes. Confusion running heavy on his bloodshot eyes.

"I'm really trying to get the grasp of this, because if I can understand where your heart is, I don't have to stand here, worried and rumaging through my already dark mind", he sighs.

If I could find a way to let him Know how I am. It should be through poetry.
And if he can understand, I'm sure she will too.

I have had a lifeline of broken support.
In that instance it means that there's no possibility of someone being able to protect me.
I have given my heart willingly to what I assumed would love me back.
You've seen that backfire on me.
You've seen me retract back like a dog with a tail between its legs.
And I know how it hurt you.
It hurt me too.

Knowingly you took it upon yourself to create a barrier of protection between our friendship. Forming something that could offer some sort of relieve to us both. And in it's own way it did work.
Surely for a very long time, I could bare my heart break to you.
And you could allow me to be overwhelmed by your pain.
We did that.

"So are you saying you don't need my protection?" His voice breaks.

I'm saying that you need mine more than anything. I have a bruised beating heart that is protected by a soul that I've never quite met and thats okay.
She makes me feel safe,
she makes me feel protected and she makes . me smile and laugh.
I am more alive with her. Her love is remarkable. So what do you say?
Let me protect you?
My heart is in safe hands.

"Okay"

Assigned at birth
I'm your Lenta
Use me anyway possible
First for love
Hug me
Pick that up, please
Now you've...
You're the same.
Just a little bit of ferocity
**** them
Grab him
Put him in the Sanction
It's the same.
It's the same...