Within and Without
by Odin Roark

To hate.
To reject.
To destroy.

To pray.
To worship.
To make fervent request.

And so it continues.

These crossroads of mind
with prayer seldom thought
outside the worship of a God,
even as meditation for some,
contemplation for others,
together unknowingly seek
but the same inner peace of silent echo.

This personal spirit communication
knowing something listened to
is often not heard,
seeks but to embrace simple entreaties,
imploring the quiet,
welcoming weary chaos,
consoling soul's guileless honesty.

How mesmeric this light
seen while flinging open windows,
ushering in storm's tempest
to balance misread knowingness
into humble new questions.

These moments
created willingly
bring choices made evident,
urging prayer of solution
be heeded within,
as it serves its echoes without.

For

Is not valid prayer but resonance made visible,
resounding its quiet big bang
with no concern for source or object,
merely the wonder of nothingness,
the containment of everything.

Yet

Prayers to acquire.
Prayers to relieve accountability.
Prayers by rote.
All sadly abound.

Few listen and hear
their prayerful answers living freely within.
For like the "lotus flower rooted in mud
while blossoming over water,"
genuine prayer knows not to exile negative affection,
but to balance independence and belonging.

And lest we forget

Such freedom of want comes
not by formal effort,
but by allowing
one's inherent essence of harmony
to forever provide peace…

Within and without.