A Mule Skinner’s Prayer
By: Tom Wright
1/15/99
Lord,
May you bless both me
and my string this day.
May our trails be wide,
our oat bin full,
and grass along the way.
May there be streams a-plenty,
and your gentle breeze
be always at my back.
Then when at last,
around my fire I sit,
and day is through.
I'll give thee thanks,
for I'll be found
at peace with you.
For my Mule Skinner friend “Wagon John”
work
the genes are stitching
it is the gravity of the past
the weight of planets descending
invisible uncarpeted
stairs
it is the man on land
in asking why the drowning man
grasps at straws
the master looks on, very perturbed,
distracted, as if
thinking of something else
very busy
distracted by all the great effort, all the good things,
he has wrought , in spite of
everyone else
with their skinners in the bossman's
pocket
dear Lord save me from evil men
the bullet bait and snare,
save me from being caged
or confined for men to stare.
save me from the abattoir
or from the skinners knife,
and the plunging dagger
that would take away my life.
They takeaway my habitat
and hunt me when they can,
they destroy my offspring,
and take pleasure in the hunt.
and still they kill each other
with rocket bomb and shell,
send them retribution lord
and let them rot in hell.
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