how to pray

She prayed, not with words,
but by somehow igniting a candle-flame within her
that burned bright and still.

- Ellis Peters

you can pray with words
or a mantra
or without

you can hold an image in your heart's eye of a deity,
or not

you can pray while
laying down
kneeling
sitting in a chair
standing up
standing still
running fast
walking slowly
driving your car
in a jumble

you might feel gratitude, longing, faith, devotion, love, joy, sorrow
or something you cannot describe

or it may just be
you become,

a flame

burning bright and still

He prayed as he breathed, forming no words and making no specific requests, only holding in his heart, like broken birds in cupped hands, all those people who were in stress or in grief.

- Ellis Peters

~ Jeff Bickford, mahakalaradio.org 6/1/20