Blessing for a New Day

bless those who toil
at underpaying jobs
to feed their hungry children
praying for a new day
in the middle of the night

and bless those who reside in hospital beds
and those who are seldom heard or seen

bless those
who are not included on panels
or in board rooms
or in organizations that work for their betterment

and bless those
who take to streets
who exact change through petition, or their own mighty presence

for those of us who embody all or none of these
and especially those who cannot do anything and still matter

for resistance is the in and out breath
of living here another day 

we will not be
guests at someone else’s banquet
seated and made silent by complacency and despair

instead
we will open our own house
to strangers in kindness
embracing friendship
and rebuffing fear

and with this vote, we will build this world and life anew.

amen.