Poetic Responses to Psalms and Scripture
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he be at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
Psalms 16:7-8
If only I could sleep standing my dreams might cease, the ruthless plague of chase and capture. Then morning I wake on my right side, sensing the hopeless weight of my body.
If I could sleep standing I would have your hand.
Believe me, I fight for a glimpse of you before unwelcome naps in the afternoon. Part rest, part grief, sleep as thick as felt—
I hear nothing when you call, yet my eyes open on their own. You guide my days.
But when, my Lord, will my nightmares end? Conquer my heart!
I always wake lying on my right side. One day soon, let me see you there.
-- By: Ms. Karen Jessee, OP - - a member of the Dominican Laity, St. Mary Magdelene Group in Raleigh, NC. She writes and teaches, living with her husband and children near Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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