My Thoughts and Prayers Are With You
I. The Impossible Wish “My heart goes out to you”— “My thoughts and prayers are with you”— Something in me reaches out to embrace you… Is this just left over religious superstition? Could there really be a literal whirlwind Of invisible mental and spiritual signals Flying through the air, even now— Something like pheromones or radio frequencies? Or perhaps this way of speaking is just a creative description— An imaginative expression of something vital, Something deeply human, but hidden? Regardless, what is obvious Is that every heart whispers this same impossible wish— Each and every human heart is born with the desire To reach out and touch the hearts of others, And there are simply no words That can be used to describe this heartfelt “reaching” That are completely clinical and devoid of all poetry. But just because every human heart Sings this same timeless and impossible wish Doesn’t mean that reality is actually shaped by it. It could all just be wishful thinking: The chasm between us may be impassable, And the hope inborn in every heart could be A cruel, false hope that prays for an unfulfillable fantasy. Do the thoughts and prayers Of those who love us really, “go with us”? Do they influence us at all? Are they holding onto us like a positive charge Stuck onto our spirits by the Holy Ghost At the request of another kind soul? II. What Makes a Gift What It Is I think about Receiving a thoughtful gift— A gift that someone has clearly crafted with care Or discovered serendipitously while searching And holding a picture of me lovingly in mind. Their love and thoughtfulness saturates that gift And makes it what it is. By itself, any object is lifeless But through their kindness, it is transformed into a vehicle— A medium to convey the life-giving magnetism between us. If someone tells me, then, That they are continually praying for me and keeping me in mind, Even if I resist belief in an ever-present Giver-of-All-Good-Gifts, Wouldn’t I at least have to admit that their heartfelt wish Has already started to saturate them?— Haven’t they themselves become the gift that carries An air of blessing with it? Yes, from then on, It would be difficult to see them And miss the kindness radiating out of them And reaching out to me. I doubt, in this life, That we will ever fully uncover and map Whatever "frequency" it is that thoughts and prayers travel on, And until we do, it’s unlikely that we will ever truly know Whether thoughts and prayers really “go with us” or not. But at least there is no denying that Whenever I see someone who I know Has been holding me lovingly in heart and mind, I am subtly but consistently uplifted By a sense that another heart is reaching out to mine, And that love soon becomes a lifeline to me.