Poetry for the Soul: “Prayer” by Marie Howe (2008)

Photo by Hazel Aksoy on Unsplash

Every day I want to speak with you. And every day something more important
calls for my attention – the drugstore, the beauty products, the luggage

I need to buy for the trip.
Even now I can hardly sit here

among the falling piles of paper and clothing, the garbage trucks outside
already screeching and banging.

The mystics say you are as close as my own breath.
Why do I flee from you?

My days and nights pour through me like complaints
and become a story I forgot to tell.

Help me. Even as I write these words I am planning
to rise from the chair as soon as I finish this sentence.

A brief musing from Anny: We all share a deep longing for meaningful connections and a profound sense of purpose. Our day-to-day lives have transformed into a battlefield where obligations, distractions, and mundane tasks clamor for our attention, mirroring the inner cacophony of diverse parts vying for recognition. Amidst societal expectations and worldly concerns, the desire for a more meaningful connection with oneself or a higher purpose often gets overshadowed. This internal struggle is a common experience—we recognize the closeness of something sacred, yet we grapple with our tendency to shy away from it.

Viewed through the lens of IFS and parts work, this poem elegantly portrays the inner conflict, where a yearning part seeks connection while dutiful and responsible parts are entangled in the external world. It is a heartfelt call for integration, a plea for self-understanding, and an invitation to reconcile these internal conflicts, ultimately leading to a more balanced and authentic way of being. The mention of mystics and their wisdom serves as a poignant reminder that profound guidance and wisdom are always within reach, as close as our breath - referred to as Self in IFS, our core consciousness and inner compass. Still, integrating this knowing into our lives remains a common challenge.