In The Christian Century magazine, there always are thought-provoking articles, interesting columns, and informative news reports.  There also are poems.   A poem in the current issue is relevant to Lent and the emphasis on prayer.  It is by Rodney Clapp, and I will share it with you here.

Lessons in prayer; from a dog

He assumes his still posture

two feet from the table.

He is not grabby,

his tongue is not hanging out,

he is quiet.

He wants to leap,

he wants to snap up

meat and blood.

You can tell.

But what he does is sit

as the gods

his masters and mistresses

fork steak and potatoes

into their mouths.

He is expectant

but not presumptuous.

He can wait.

He can live with disappointment.

He can abide frustration

and suffer suspense.

He watches

for signals,

he listens for calls

of his name from above.

At hints that

he may be gifted

with a morsel,

he intensifies his

already rapt concentration,

he looks his god

in the eye, but humbly,

sure of his innocence

in his need,

if his need only.

On the (often rare) occasions

when gifts are laid on his tongue,

he takes them whole,

then instantly resumes

the posture of attention,

beseeching, listening, alert,

the posture of hard-won faith

that will take no for an answer,

yet ever and again hopefully

return to the questioning.