The Poet's Muse Prayer

Our Muse
Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name!
Thy visions come;
Thy will be done
In me as it is in thee!
Give us this day
Without delay
Some grand, inspiring phrase
Or captivating image we can tinker with
Until we've got something meaningful,
Memorable,
And that doesn't sound bloody awful.
And forgive us our
Dreadful early verses
As we forgive those
Who, much older and wiser and profusely published,
Continue to deluge us with hopelessly indecipherable
Word-salad.
And lead us not into cliché,
But deliver us from
Inscrutible, obscure nonsense
For thine is the kingdom
(Or at least the rented house)
And the power
(Though certainly not the money)
And the (probably anonymous) glory
Forever and ever,
Amen.

George Chadderdon © 2000