A Prayer for Greening

“But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise!
Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and you cause the land of shades to give birth.
Isaiah 26:19

If I could, I’d wrap us
in a covering
of stars. I want to shelter all
our grief—look how long
dead planets shine.
If I could, I’d swallow
every word I said
or didn’t say, and you might rise
lightly into sky. Do you remember,
love, the way we soared?
Days are painted
monochrome. So much
is buried under heavy snow. Come, Lord
of thaw and xylem flow. Come bud.
Come bloom. Come honey bee.

Originally published in Faith Today Magazine.

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Lesley-Anne Evans, an Irish-Canadian poet, writes from Feeny Wood, a contemplative woodland retreat in Kelowna, B.C., Canada. Her debut poetry collection, Mute Swan: Poems for Maria Queen of the World, was published by The St. Thomas Poetry Series (Toronto) in 2021. Lesley-Anne was commissioned to write libretto for a new Canadian opera and lyrics for a cantata. Her periodical publications include The Antigonish Review, Barren Magazine, Cascadia Review, Contemporary Verse 2, Faith Today, The Porch Magazine, and Presence Journal. Her poetry has been awarded and anthologized.