I don’t need the whole thing;
I just need a piece of peace.
Give me something I can sing along with,
or hold in my arms in stillness,
or break apart and give away —
something tangible (or nearly; I’m not fussy).
I need something to quell the noise and deflate the hate.
It must come from you, authentic you,
becoming who you are becoming.

Hear my plea. Amen.

-Janet Powers, Belchertown, MA