‘Thoughts and Prayers’ by Paul Wilner

Thoughts and Prayersguns and roses,
money, honey,
what’s the point.
raise, hold,
stay, fold,
left out standing in the cold.
If I had a thought, I’d tell you,
bow my head if there’s a prayer.
no such luck,
no such mercy
i am waiting, I am old.
give us this day our daily bread,
maybe we’ll feed it to the dead.

Always get the last word.

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Paul Wilner’s work has appeared in The Paris Review, the San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere. You can read more of his writing in ZYZZYVA No. 106 and No. 109

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