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Bedside Prayers Prayers & Poems for When You Rise and Go to Sleep
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IN ALL ENDEAVORS
In all endeavors
Strive to celebrate
The spirit of the warrior . . .
Calm,
Centered,
Certain . . .
Whether tending to the flower garden
Or searching for the heart of the divine.Jo-Anne Rowley
POET'S PRAYER
In You through whom
all things speak,
use me please
to sing your song.Kate Robinson
DAILY PRAYER From the sun's early rising
into the night
Bless us, O Lord,
with your guiding light.And then through the dark
to dawn's golden flare,
Watch over us, Lord,
keep us in your care.Theresa Mary Grass
SOMEHOW
Life's struggle
can be puzzling now & then.Somehow
at the most difficult times
we find wings to fly.Corrine De Winter
EPIPHANY
It was Einstein who said
either nothing is a miracle,
or everything is -
a jagged mountain range,
lilacs in bloom,
a peacock unfurled,
sun on your arm,
the touch of a stranger.Take your pick: be surprised
by nothing at all,
or by everything that is.Maryanne Hannan
A NIGHTTIME BLESSING
Bless those who breathe
In the stardust
Of night.Bless those who rise
At the breaking
Of light.Let us shine.
Let us shine.
Let us shine.Peter Markus
GIVE MY SOUL A HEAVENLY HUSH
Let me tarry as I go;
if not my feet, my heart be slow.
As I run from rush to rush
give my soul a heavenly hush--
That I may touch instead of shove,
That I may see those needing love.
In passing may I leave a glow;
of kindly words that help peace grow.Gail McCoig Blanton
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REVIEW: Once again, as she did with GRACES, June Cotner has compiled a beautiful and highly readable book. Let it find a permanent place on your nightstand. (Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul)
REVIEW: A book like Bedside Prayers: Prayers and Poems for When You Rise and Go to Sleep is not one to gobble down like a mystery novel or best-seller. Edited by June Cotner, this compact book of poems is better in small bites, savored slowly. It is also best read in the spirit of those who wrote the poems: On either edge of sleep, the poet (and reader) can drop worldly pretense, momentarily set aside cynicism and through the poet's words take the stance of a child, not embarrassed by outright expressions of wonder, longing, gratitude and devotion. Divided into sections titled "Inspiration," "Comfort," "Reflections," "Nightfall" and "Morning," the collection draws from a variety of spiritual backgrounds, yet most of the poems are not colored by language associated with a particular faith. Accessible and straightforward, they speak of the universal human experience, often expressing a genuine desire to live more kindly, be more fully awake to the beauty around us and move closer to the divine. Bedside Prayers includes verses by George Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke, Buddha, Helen Keller and Ralph Waldo Emerson as well as numerous lesser-known poets. Two Santa Fe poets, Penny Harter and Elizabeth Searle Lamb, have works in the collection. Harter, in particular, provides one of the more original voices in the book, whose poems range from the almost sing-songy to the fresh and surprising. For the reader in a receptive, dawn or dusk state of mind, both kinds have their place. (The New Mexican, February 1, 1998)
REVIEW: It's the end of a long day. You're in bed feeling as worn out as your favorite flannel pajamas when you reach for a copy of June Cotner's new book, "Bedside Prayers." You read a passage from the "Nightfall" section and soon are lulled to sleep by a gentle prayer. Poulsbo author June Cotner doesn't mind if her book puts you to sleep. In fact, she took special care to find just the right poems and prayers to sleep on and rise by. Her collection includes inspirational poems and prayers that offer comforting words and wisdom. "Bedside Prayers" includes poetry and prayers drawn from Christian, Gaelic, Native American and ancient Chinese traditions. Cotner feels it can be read by anyone seeking spiritual comfort or guidance, regardless of one's religion or ethnic origin. (The Sun, November 19, 1997) |
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