Joan of Arc (Faith), by Annie Louisa Swynnerton, 1900-1905
in all things, may i travel unarmored and unafraid,
settled into a quiet cradle
whose gentle sway bears the mark of the mother’s hand
let my mind be emptied of false truths and accusations
stripped free of nagging encumbrance
my essence naked and alive in original, unswaddled glory
if i am called to a gate that refuses to open,
let me turn peaceably in another direction
and be piloted by the stars
that illumine my oft-weary soul
if the storms of liberation demand
that no prisoners be taken,
let me raise the sword of truth
with clear-eyed compassion
for myself and those with whom
i can walk no longer
grant me the steadfast courage to endure
this long, unwinding dance
to remain unassailed amid the dizzying
of the everyday,
to sift through an onslaught
of disconcordant ambiguity
until i discover in…
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