We used to pray for rain to come.
We had to pray.
We had to call out to God and trust;
trust that He’d meet our needs.
Send the water to our seeds.
It was how we were to live,
with nothing but our prayers to give.
But then one day we decided to stray,
when the waters weren’t coming our way,
so instead of waiting patiently,
we decided to take what we thought
to be our needs; the water itself,
not the Source of the wells.
We sent the beautiful flowing crystal
into pipes and trucks and faucets that trickle.
We thought we were above it all,
that helpless prayer for rain to fall.
And look where we are now,
thinking we need not trust in Thou:
poisoned waters, prayers without trust.
Forested floors turning to dust.
Oh Lord, help up to return,
to when we trusted Your Holy Word:
“They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.”
Hashem, Hashem, Hashem, Hashem!
Help us to let go of our illusory world,
in which we think we can provide
for ourselves on our terms.
Trying to control the flow of Your world,
force all that swirls into something firm.
Forgive us, please, help us to see;
the Truth that You are all we need.
Give us the courage to set free
the waters we’ve held captive by our greed.
Help us to turn to Thee! Satiate these seeds!
To turn our hearts to Your prophecy:
“They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.”
Now once more, we must pray for rain;
free of acid and metal flakes.
If we are to live, there is no other way;
than to live and let go of the reins,
we’ve kept on the waters of our lives.
Trying to grip to what we believe to be right;
to force Love into a box,
to mistake as solid, a molding rock.
It’s all just, we’re all just, water, flowing free.
Lord, won’t You turn these shackles into a stream?
Hannah Arin is a junior at Pitzer College pursuing a double major in religious studies and philosophy.
