Writing Prompts: Animal/Insect Prayers from the ARK

There is a wonderful little book of poems that was first published in France entitled:  Prayers from the Ark by French writer Carmen Bernos de Gasztold.  This poem of pray poems was written during the grim years of the Second World War. In this book Noah and a representative group of animals offer their own style of prayer to God, some funny, some sad, some full of hope, all brief and fresh.

Here are two examples from this book: 

The Prayer of the Snail

Dear Lord,

I am slow they say;

Keep the Ark open while I come.

Keep me from careless feet

That crush my delicately woven shell,

A thing of delight to all Mathematicians!

Then shell and all will say

                                        ...Amen

 

The Prayer of the Old Dog

Dear God,

Truly my bark is now worse than my bite:

My strength is gone -

I can no longer round up the sheep.

Let Your strength be my unfailing hope

And Your Shepherd my unfailing Friend,

While I feebly wag my tail in quiet joy.

                                        ...Amen

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it:  Write your own prayers from the ark.  Pick the animals or insects that you want and write a little prayer poem. Imagine what a butterfly’s prayer is like and what a butterfly might say if they prayed to God from the Ark.  Have fun with this.  It can be any animal you want and the prayers can be funny, serious, or whatever.

On your mark.  Get set. Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!