My Father and My Friend

My Father and my friend, I love not to live by pretense, Nor love I your sacrosanct decrees to bend; I repent every transgression hence, And pray that you may your mercies lend. Feed me my Father and my friend, And put raiment upon my skin; Upon my poetry I pray you send Your benediction and endorsement unseen. Fine-tune the timbre and pitch of my oration, My Father and my friend of all creation; And speak on me the benefits of fame, And cause my tongue to proclaim thy name. My Father and my friend unchanging, Full of love and care unflinching, Be my comforter in times of cry and sorrow, And hide from me the uncertainties of tomorrow. Hear me my Father and my friend, For I'm candid and dare not pretend!