Memorial Day Weekend

I searched for a prayer that I could hold in my heart and mind throughout this Memorial Day Weekend and I came across the following:

Memorial Day Prayer - Barbara Pescan

Spirit of Life whom we have called by many names in thanksgiving and in anguish—
Bless the poets and those who mourn

Send peace for the soldiers who did not make the wars but whose lives were consumed by them
Let strong trees grow above graves far from home

Breathe through the arms of their branches

The earth will swallow your tears while the dead sing “No more, never again, remember me.”
For the wounded ones, and those who received them back, let there be someone ready when the memories come

when the scars pull and the buried metal moves and forgiveness for those of us who were not there for our ignorance.
And in us, veterans in a forest of a thousand fallen promises, let new leaves of protest grow on our stumps.
Give us courage to answer the cry of humanity’s pain

And with our bare hands, out of full hearts, with all our intelligence

let us create the peace.