O at the Edges

Musings on poetry, language, perception, numbers, food, and anything else that slips through the cracks.

Prayer

Posted on August 16, 2017 by robert okaji

Prayer

Death does not choose you at random.
It approaches at your pace, rumbling
downhill or floating in the air,
debris or dandelion fluff,
concealed yet evident.
Listen: a small cloud bumps another,
merging into one larger being —
can you hear its ecstasies?
All the world’s souls, gathered.

59 thoughts on “Prayer”

gardenlovepoet on August 12, 2017 at 7:14 am said:

Death is apart of life one can not exist without the other.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 7:17 am said:
  
  So true!
  
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t.s.wright on August 12, 2017 at 8:43 am said:

I hope it is like one cloud bumping into another…transferring from this use of energy into another, with ecstasy.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 9:54 am said:
  
  That’s mine, too. Energies to ever expanding ecstasies. 🙂
  
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ivors20 on August 12, 2017 at 8:52 am said:

Your description is truly wondrous

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 9:54 am said:
  
  Thank you, Ivor. One can but speculate…
  
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Janice on August 12, 2017 at 9:00 am said:

Beautiful 🙂

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 9:54 am said:
  
  Thanks very much, Janice.
  
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Michael Medlen on August 12, 2017 at 9:29 am said:

Death comes often and hopefully quick but comes nonetheless.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 9:55 am said:
  
  We may put it off a bit, but inevitably…
  
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  - Michael Medlen on August 12, 2017 at 9:58 am said:
    
    Hopefully it just knocks at my door as I gaze like an Emily out a lonely virgin window…
    
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    - robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 10:21 am said:
      
      We’ve waved to each other in passing, but thus far I’ve not heard the knock.
      
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      - Michael Medlen on August 12, 2017 at 10:22 am said:
        
        I think the world needs more poets but hopefully they stay outside..
        
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Jazz Jaeschke on August 12, 2017 at 9:33 am said:

Cloud merge – beautiful metaphor for death of the body I’m currently held in – and that image is perfect, pink petals like hands praying.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 9:57 am said:
  
  I’d like to have a little of the suppleness of clouds, the ability to merge. The photo jumped out at me and I knew it was the right one.
  
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Lynne Burnett on August 12, 2017 at 10:36 am said:

Love the tone, the title, that last line!!! A prayer to remember, say out loud. Is it new?

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 11:08 am said:
  
  Thanks, Lynne. Yes, it’s new. Something that spilled out in May…
  
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Cate on August 12, 2017 at 11:11 am said:

A lovely image, Bob.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 12:55 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Cate!
  
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rivrvlogr on August 12, 2017 at 1:01 pm said:

Nice imagery, Bob.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 1:08 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Ken!
  
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Peter's pondering on August 12, 2017 at 1:05 pm said:

One thing is certain, it chooses us all!
A lovely imagery Robert.

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 1:08 pm said:
  
  There’s no denying that! Thank you.
  
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ダニエル・シュネー on August 12, 2017 at 3:46 pm said:

Since I can’t die the way I want, in a Tokugawa Era sword fight outnumbered five to one…I’ll settle for death by snu-snu (see Futurama).

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- robert okaji on August 12, 2017 at 3:57 pm said:
  
  Ha! I just had to look up snu-snu.
  
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  - ダニエル・シュネー on August 12, 2017 at 7:16 pm said:
    
    I humbly petition any/all gods daily that Michelle Yeoh. Lauren Tom, and Maggie Cheung will do me the honour of snu snu-ing me right through the floor; in any order or grouping!
    
    May Most Holy, Radiant, and Beneficient Amaterasu O-mikami Herself hear my plea and grant me this final earthly account…
    
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inkspiredng on August 13, 2017 at 12:46 am said:

a gathering of souls…death is harvesting

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- robert okaji on August 13, 2017 at 6:59 am said:
  
  That is certainly one way of looking at it.
  
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Clemens P. Suter on August 13, 2017 at 4:12 am said:

I’ve written extensively about Death in my novel Celeterra. It is an intriguing, singular event.

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- robert okaji on August 13, 2017 at 7:01 am said:
  
  It rarely happens to us twice. 😐
  
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bluejeansongster on August 13, 2017 at 9:01 am said:

All the world’s souls gathered…nice, I like that.

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- robert okaji on August 13, 2017 at 9:11 am said:
  
  So pleased you like it. Thank you!
  
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2gatherstones on August 15, 2017 at 7:02 am said:

It is the ones left behind that are lost

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- robert okaji on August 15, 2017 at 11:08 am said:
  
  May you find comfort on your journey.
  
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  - 2gatherstones on August 15, 2017 at 11:55 am said:
    
    Thank you
    
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Christos Polydorou on August 15, 2017 at 9:42 am said:

This is profoundly comforting.

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- robert okaji on August 15, 2017 at 11:08 am said:
  
  Thanks very much!
  
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Robert Crisp on August 15, 2017 at 6:59 pm said:

Brilliant.

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- robert okaji on August 16, 2017 at 7:25 am said:
  
  Thank you!
  
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10000hoursleft on August 16, 2017 at 1:15 am said:

Something lovely about death approaching at one’s pace. More reason to slow down 😊

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- robert okaji on August 16, 2017 at 7:25 am said:
  
  Which may explain why I move so little. Ha!
  
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  - 10000hoursleft on August 16, 2017 at 9:42 pm said:
    
    Very wise!
    
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    - robert okaji on August 17, 2017 at 5:56 am said:
      
      😜
      
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seanmirza on August 16, 2017 at 1:41 am said:

Wow

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- robert okaji on August 16, 2017 at 7:27 am said:
  
  Thanks!
  
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iampharaohmaktuk on August 16, 2017 at 3:44 pm said:

Is this new? One of my favorites by yours. ‘You cant choose how you were born, but you can choose how you’re going to die whenever it occurs.’

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- robert okaji on August 16, 2017 at 3:47 pm said:
  
  Yes, thank you. It tumbled out onto the page in May.
  
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  - iampharaohmaktuk on August 16, 2017 at 3:49 pm said:
    
    Ah I see, have seen a little part that usually says when the poem was first published if they are old, so thought it may have been new. Amazing poem again!
    
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    - robert okaji on August 16, 2017 at 9:16 pm said:
      
      I occasionally post new work.
      
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Understand546 on August 17, 2017 at 5:46 pm said:

This poem was beautiful love your adjectives

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- robert okaji on August 17, 2017 at 8:40 pm said:
  
  Thank you!
  
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Sunshine Jansen on August 17, 2017 at 5:53 pm said:

“Debris or dandelion fluff” is so great, RO — destruction, creation, ineffable, inexorable.

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- robert okaji on August 17, 2017 at 8:41 pm said:
  
  Thanks, SJ. They can be equally devastating, don’t you think?
  
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BookOfPain on August 21, 2017 at 1:09 pm said:

Gorgeous!

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- robert okaji on August 21, 2017 at 9:23 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much!
  
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Shinchan on August 25, 2017 at 12:59 pm said:

🤔

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- robert okaji on August 25, 2017 at 6:12 pm said:
  
  Thank you!
  
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StacySpeaksBlog on September 7, 2017 at 6:29 pm said:

Death is part of living. Nice one

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- robert okaji on September 7, 2017 at 6:54 pm said:
  
  Yes! Thanks very much.
  
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