Every Body Prayer
Based on Dugan’s “Prayer”
By Tedric Dotson

God, I need a car, because I need a reputation
Here the world is enjoyable with places to go, 
women, nights on the town, and class.
But, if I have no car I have no where to go and
my friends pity me.
But when I get a car I’m the man, my friends
envy me.  And I can have a drink and breathe air.
I feel classy.  I am where all the action is.
My girlfriend is my girlfriend in deed.
The world is fun except I have to deal with 
something going wrong and I end up not getting it
fixed or I have to use most of my money for gas.  
I miss having my money for myself.  So I stop 
paying for it, then I need a car again.
I’m caught in a steel cycle.

Sometimes a Woman
Based on Rilke’s “Sometimes a Man Stands Up During Supper”
by Sheena Owens

Sometimes a woman stands up during abuse
and goes to the counselors and walks out a 
few days later, 
because of a future that she would want to stand in life.

And her boyfriend curses and beats her as if she was dead.

And another woman going through abuse
lives there inside the danger and days of beating
so that she can go out into the world
toward a future, which she had not forgotten.

Every Woman’s Prayer
Based on Dugan’s “Prayer”
by Latasha Anderson

God, I need friends because I need to be accepted.
Here the world is enjoyable with parties,
being with the in crowd and class!
But if I don’t have no friends then there’s
no one to talk to, no one to hang with,
no one to lift my spirits.
My mom oppresses me, and the time
my man gives me isn’t enough.  But
when I have friends, oh, I feel loved.
Everyone envies me, and I have a drink 
and breathe air.  I feel classy.  I am 
where the action is.  I am “that bitch to
be!”  The world is interesting!  Except I 
have to watch out for the backstabbers,
worry about which my man listens to
me.  He said, she said, putting on fake
smiles when I don’t want to be bothered,
so I cut them loose enjoy a couple
days of peace and quiet, smoke, and
then I need new friends again.
I am caught in a steel cycle.