Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer

One of many.

Today I pray for courage
to go out into this world
populated by familiar strangers
who act a lot like me,
but are uniquely their own persons.

Nothing seems more tenuous
than my own sense of self
when confronted by others
who may speak differently
or represent a heterodoxy
in the carefully constructed temple
within my own mind.

I need strength
to confront my world
from new perspectives
and to see beauty
through eyes focused differently,
and to hear beauty
in voices that sound rancorous.

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Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams -
they all have different names,
but they all contain water.
Just as religions do -
they all contain truths.
~ Muhammad Ali