granny prayed tirelessly for hours on end,
while bakin biscuits and pickin blackberries
always worried, she’d leave out a name
an they’d surely be struck down
if she didn’t drop the dishes right then, gather us all up
to join hands an pray

papaw’s palm sat heavy in my right,
granny’s cold and slender, full up of ruby rings
linked in my left 
everyone meant to mumble their prayers aloud 
all at once 

this part was always easiest if it was just us three,
without the added holdout of chuckles
against my brother and cousin,
as we squeeze each other’s hands, hard as we can,
tryin not to be the first to end our prayers 

“Amen”, we’d have to say, 
keepin our heads bowed down
as granny kept listin out every person she’d ever met 
to be sure they’d not burn in hell 

sometimes i’d try to keep up with the names,
see if i knew a Mary Ann Sue, an what relation, almost wantin to ask 
at the end of the prayer 

knowin the picture books would come out 
an she’d be bound to call up somebody, i never did 
i’m now prayin i had