Prayer by Anna Lena Phillips Bell

"let me have thrown my knives at the hay bale, all of them"

Prayer

by Anna Lena Phillips Bell

Lord, when my mind goes,
let me have disposed
of most of my secrets,
let me have used up my lust
in good-natured rutting,
let me have thrown my knives 
at the hay bale, all of them, 
so what comes is, 
if a surprise, not
a terrible or even an insulting one
to whoever I am lucky 
enough to be around

First published in Southwest Review, Volume 108.2.