prayers

prayers
won't save you from drowning,
gasping for money to pull you out of
endless hours of work,
weak smiled and shaky handed
when did feeling old start outpacing growing it?

prayers
won't save you from your decayed marriage
sanctified in the Lord's house,
presided by a respected priest,
the guests of the reception
have disappeared
along with the mechanics of normal conversation

prayers
will not take your tired body
and baptize it with new life and vigor
your young days are gone and you don't
know if you have the strength to
make more golden moments to
hang on to
hope is your lifeline and your noose

prayers will do nothing for you
but I begin to suspect that
they never were supposed to.