Grant Me the Serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to get off my ass and rearrange
the room regardless of who it will piss off
or inconvenience, and the wisdom
to know the continued refinement of my ability
to be happy despite is just my training to tolerate,
my warping to suffer for everyone else’s
convenience and comfort. Grant me the serenity
to embody that my experience of the world
is partly my experience and partly the world,
and they’re both up for critique and adjustment,
courage to say this is the deal, take it or leave it,
and the wisdom to see multiple avenues
to a new city. Grant me the serenity to remember
to walk outside and cry to the oak trees for comfort,
courage to light a house on fire if that is the only
way, and the wisdom to justify it all in court.
Grant me the serenity to put a lock on the door
and give out no duplicate keys, courage to expect
everyone to learn to speak my hybrid language,
as I always learn theirs, and the wisdom
to light the right candles when it’s dark.
7 thoughts on "Grant Me the Serenity"
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That’s a lot of grant requests! 😏
A wonderful poem/manifesto, Melissa. You are setting some wise boundaries here.
Love your version of the Serenity Prayer!
I liked this one!
Enjoyed your poem. I especially liked “courage to expect everyone to learn to speak my hybrid language.”
Taping this serenity prayer on my mirror, Melissa!
😂 “courage to get off my ass and rearrange/the room regardless of who it will piss off”
Amen: “Grant me the serenity to remember/to walk outside and cry to the oak trees for comfort,”
Yesssss: courage to expect/everyone to learn to speak my hybrid language….”and the wisdom/to light the right candles when it’s dark.”
Way to take a common prayer and make it fit you. Laugh and cry.
courage to light a house on fire if that is the only
way, and the wisdom to justify it all in court. !!!!
“my warping to suffer for everyone else’s
convenience and comfort.”
Oh, lordy! What an excellent description of co-dependence!
And, I think THIS is the “heart” of your poem. Love it!
” the serenity to remember
to walk outside and cry to the oak trees for comfort,