We pray for children who put chocolate fingers everywhere,
who like to be tickled,
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes into their worksheets,
who can never find their shoes…
And we pray for those who stare at photographers
from behind barbed wire,
who can’t run down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never “count potatoes”
who are born in places we would never be caught dead
who never go to the circus
who live in an X-rated world…
We pray for children who give us sticky kisses
and fists full of dandelions,
who sleep with the dog and overfeed the goldfish,
who cover themselves with bamd-aids and sing off-key,
who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink,
who slurp their soup…
And we pray for those who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who can’t find any bread to steal,
who don’t have any rooms to clean-up,
who’s pictures aren’t on anybody’s dresser,
whose monsters are real…
We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed,
who never rinse out the tub,
who love visits from the tooth fairy,
who don’t like to be kissed in front of their friends,
who squirm in church and scream into the phone…
And we pray for those whos nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,who aren’t spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move and have no being…
We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
for those we never give up on,
and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it…
HEAR OUR CRIES , O GOD, AND LISTEN TO OUR PRAYERS. AMEN.
*When I first read this I started to feel myself choke up and I had to hold it back because I didn’t want to cry in a room filled with 400+ parents at a back to school night. I probably missed the first 15 or so minutes of the meeting because I read and re-read this several times. It is a very powerful poem. I found myself unable to celebrate the children I could relate to on the left because I felt so awful about and almost responsible for the children on the right. Please take a moment to read the poem and share it among friends and family. Lets do what we can to eliminate any child from having to suffer the life of hell. Hug… Praise…Encourage…and most off all Love Our Children… They are the most precious gift from God…
Michele Slazyk
