Today a little girl prayed…
Please God
Find my favorite bucket
Help me get it back
If not today
Let Santa bring it in his sack.

Today a mommy prayed…
Dear God
If you’re there
She, no, I need to believe
The time for a miracle is now
Or your ocean shouldn’t thieve.

About this poem: We were spending the day down the shore when my 6-year-old daughter lost her favorite bucket to the Atlantic. I saw it unfold. One moment she’s holding it and the next moment I just see her panicked face, having realized she lost the thing she held most dear in the universe at that point in time. She was so upset that she prayed without any prompting. Her prayers, so fervent and desperate. Me, haven’t yet recovered from my own loss of faith post father’s death, didn’t really have much in me. I had to fake it a little, but also suddenly – and desperately – wanted to start having faith again.