Prayer for Jon

If I had a string of a thousand crystal rondelles,
I would pray your name, like a rosary, upon each one,

And my prayers, like words spoken on feathers,
Would fly heavenward through East-facing windows to God’s ears,

Not like a radio turned to fuzz,
But like a crystal clear choir of nightingales.

If I had a stick of dynamite…no, one stick is never enough…
I would line ten thousand sticks in a row, and light the fuses.

I would blow up the years,
And send the particles flying like broken sharks’ teeth,

Till they came to settle once again
In the time before you left.

I would search the stars for you in our mother’s shoes
And gather you safely home.

Sally Stevens works as a singer and choral contractor for film, television and sound recordings, in Los Angeles. She has served as Choral director for the Academy Awards broadcast for 22 years. She has written lyrics for film, television and sound recordings projects, and has had songs recorded by James Taylor and Burt Bacharach. She has also contributed to film scores “On Any Sunday” “Ruby”, “Absence of Malice” and “Hammersmith Is Out.” She has published two collections of poetry and flash fiction, and had two flash fiction pieces included in HERMENEUTIC CHAOS literary journal, July 2014 edition.