by Gideon Emmanuel

In Remembrance of Joseph & Grace

Dear Lord,
These knees
They hurt
I've been
On altars 
For so long
My footprints
Have become
The church’s rugs
My supplications
Run over your cup.

Are my soft prayers
Lodged in your voicemail?
My many letters
Stranded at your gate?

My voice has become somber
I go at the drift of tears
Of prayers fouled by long weeping
Of sins remaining uncounted.

I have faith bigger than the
mustard seeds
They say with much work 
It becomes bigger
& My letters will all be opened
Foreshadow the prayers that poked off.

I’ve read Genesis to Revelations
Sarah Young & some Francine River's
& C. S. Lewis & John Bunyan's books.
Listened to sermons and podcasts
On days when my eyes as lamps are dimmed.

I am standing above the altar again
Praying, in the cold breath of a Sunday morning.
Do I need a bigger faith — the whole trunk of
A mustard tree planted in my loamy heart?

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Gideon Emmanuel (he/him) is a young poet, teacher, lover of kids/nature, orphans & depressed people, from Lagos, Nigeria. His poems have appeared in Eboquills, U_Rights magazine, Arthut anthology, Boardspeck, Street Child anthology, Terror house, Poemify Publisher. In his leisure time, you’ll find him teaching, reading, writing, meditating & mostly, cooking.