Prayer or Blasphemy

By Aline Mello

Our Mother in Heaven, 

        may your name be untainted

        by people who claim violence.

 

Mother in Heaven—

        calling you father dooms you to failure.

 

May your queendom come soon.

        Maybe calling you she will draw me closer—

 

may you draw us closer.

Give us today the nourishment we need

        may it run out tonight—

        may we return tomorrow.

 

May your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive

        those who will never ask for forgiveness.

Aline Mellois an immigrant and writer from Brazil. She is an Undocupoet Fellow and her poetry can be found in journals such as The Georgia Review, The New Republic, and The Indiana Review. Her debut poetry collection More Salt Than Diamond is forthcoming from Andrews McMeel in spring 2022.