Ripening Prayers
Amidst a season full of a steady rest, though time passing quickly, Raine shared this sweet poem with me. Every time I revisited these humble words, it resonated deeper. What does it mean to be brave? How can I slow my mind and wholly trust?
ripening prayers
by cheyenne raine
i have sat at the edge of my bed
with my face in my hands
trying to decide whether or not
i was brave.
a bowl of freshly washed raspberries
sat at my feet, begging me to taste.
what does it mean to taste? to want
this bowl of fruit to sit on my tongue.
what does it mean to be brave?
is it when something sour
erupts in my mouth
and i must learn
to speak sweetly, despite?
despite the bitter. sharp tartness.
(still, the sweetness that comes after
is the sky being coated with raindrops
and clouds made of sugar.)
today, i gathered my prayers into my chest
and heaved as i tossed them into the sky,
where i think God knows how to hold them
better than i. the fog crawls in
and takes my whispered words
from my lips— it does not pull them
from my teeth or my bones. it guides
these hushed prayers of mine
into a place where they could grow,
raspberries blossoming under a gemini sun.
Cheyenne Raine resides in the San Antonio light, pulling warmth and bliss into her lower-case lettered poetry. she writes the beauty amongst every scene, lacing diction to create vivid pictures. she publishes her work consistently on her website and sends little letters through email.
Raine is the author of several books that can be viewed here.