THE BEDTIME PRAYER OF AN OYSTER
Now I lay me down to sleep,
My oyster bed is soft and deep
Beneath the ocean's roar.
Before I drift into a dream
In glowing luxury supreme,
I pray and I adore.
I pray the night prayers of an oyster
Warm and snug in my moist cloister
As holy nuns of yore,
Here humbly I produce a mere
Five hundred million eggs a year:
I wish I could do more.
And I adore creation's twirls
Where irritations turn to pearls
Within my sacred space,
Although I haven't eyes to see,
I trust annoyances can be
Occasions of your grace.
If I should die before I wake
I pray, dear God, my soul you'll take
To heaven's clammy foam,
Where I can creep out of my shell
And find rich shoals where I can dwell
Forever safe at home.
from the forthcoming book Prayers of 100 Animals A to Z, by William Cleary
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