THOU SHALT NOT MONKEY WITH THE STARS IN THY NEIGHBOR’S CROWN

Thou shalt not arrange his stars To fit thine own design!

Neither shalt thou attempt To “muddy up” their shine. Thou shalt “Windex” thine own And keep it brightly varnished With the polish-cloth of prayer Lest thine own crown be tarnished.

— Faye Boyette Wise Deceased

MY SIMPLE PRAYER

Now I lay me down to die

Laying here I’m staring up at the sky

If the day should dawn before I wake

I pray dear Lord my sins do take Of all the wishes, I have but one To be remembered for the good I’ve done

Of all the things I can’t recall How many people I’ve wronged at all

To make it up and put things right

I pray dear Lord to do it tonight — John Zylma

Benton

ORIGAMI

On the table, an origami bird. My grandmother had made it just for me.

Like the crocheted tablecloth under it,

was beauty which defied descriptive word.

Yes, our home was full of her artistry.

My mother made shelves where each one could sit.

Those things too, rich pleasantries for the eye,

were carved, etched, and scrolled with lines that were true

seemingly separate from the life she knew.

They were made often with a late-night sigh; thus, my destiny I cannot deny, for I am shaped from the genes that I drew

which Grandmother says isn’t something new— just the fate of an origami guy.

— Dennis Patton

Alexander

To submit poems for publication, please send poems of 16 or fewer lines to Dennis Patton, 2512 Springhill Circle, Alexander, AR 72002, or patton_dr@hotmail.com. The Saline County Branch of PRA is scheduled to meet February 24, 1:00 pm, at the Parkview United Methodist Church, 514 North Border Street, Benton.