A Prayer for Relief from Anxiety

As he shakes with fear,

with irreverent palpitations and emptied lungs

that will not fill,

uncertainty strangles hope and the moment

becomes the last meal.

Miles away, as she blends

disinfectant water and begins to scrub

the bathroom tiles,

she says her prayers and breaks a smile

for all her children and the world.

All will be well.

And it is midnight

on the other side of the globe—

whatever worries one

rarely troubles the other, and paralyzing stress

succumbs to sleep there.

The sea birds glide

with and against the wind.

The sheep continue grazing in the rain.

The mountain is unmoved by the threat of storm.

Trust is the antidote to anxiety.

I pray you will get there.