“Hallelujah is a Hebrew word which means ‘Glory to the Lord.’ The song explains that many kinds of Hallelujahs do exist. I say: All the perfect and broken Hallelujahs have an equal value. It’s a desire to affirm my faith in life, not in some formal religious way but with enthusiasm, with emotion.” Leonard Cohen (b. 1934), Canadian musician, singer/songwriter, poet and novelist

Walkers are lined-up neat by the dining room,
like race horses at the starting gate and the
Asians wear crosses, insured by Christianity.
The Europeans find comfort in Vipassana,
Savor the ironies. Hallelujah. Glory be!

Glory be, Hallelujah; glory our broken bodies
and the broken gods that haunt our lives
Praise in all perfect and fractured Hallelujahs

At three they’re viewing Brokeback Mountain,
but I’m staying in my room, playing Hallelujah!
Compressor humming in the background.
I’m just toking O2, pondering the complexities,
savoring the ironies. Hallelujah. Glory be!

Glory be, Hallelujah, glory the broken bodies
and the broken gods that haunt our lives
Praise in all perfect and fractured Hallelujahs

© 2016, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

WEDNESDAY WRITING PROMPT

Write a poem in praise of all the hallelujahs, the perfect and the fractured, an affirmation of ultimate faith in life despite the broken places and the ironies.  Share your poem/s or a link to it/them in the comments section below.

All poems shared on theme will be published next Tuesday. Please do NOT email your poem to me or leave it on Facebook. If you do it’s likely I’ll miss it or not see it in time.

IF this is your first time participating in The Poet by Day, Wednesday Writing Prompt, please send a brief bio and photo to me at thepoetbyday@gmail.com in order to introduce yourself to the community … and to me :-).  These will be partnered with your poem/s on first publication.

Deadline:  Monday, June 25 at 8 p.m. PDT.

Anyone may take part Wednesday Writing Prompt, no matter the status of your career: novice, emerging or pro.  It’s about exercising the poetic muscle, sharing your work, and getting to know other poets who might be new to you. This is a discerning nonjudgemental place to connect.

22 Comments

  5. CODA

    Blood
    Rage
    Objectification
    Killing
    Exclusion
    Neglect

    How long we wait
    Again for righteousness
    Lifting up the
    Lives of the lost
    Echoing the
    Longing for
    Universal
    Justice
    And
    Honor

    deb y felio

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Hi Jamie,

    My fourth response:

    No Hallelujahs

    within darkness
    within questions
    within nonsense

    No hallelujahs

    within failure
    within mistakes
    within doubt

    No hallelujahs

    within hard decisions
    within dislocation
    within recovery

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Hi Jamie,

    My fourth response:

    No Hallelujahs

    without darkness
    without questions
    without nonsense

    No hallelujahs

    without failure
    without mistakes
    without doubt

    No hallelujahs

    without hard decisions
    without dislocation
    without recovery

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. hallelujah unison

    arthritic hands clasp and hurt each other
    eyes squeeze and phosphenes march
    “hallelujah,” she whispers

    miles away there is a beheading
    “hallelujah!” they shout

    miles away a child is born
    “hallelujah,” say the three
    (one inaudibly)

    miles away there is home in the headlights
    miles away a bell tower reverberates
    miles away a monitor flatlines

    and miles away a man sees someone waiting for him under a streetlight
    shifting her feet
    seeing him
    and catching her breath

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  9. Hi Jamie,

    Here’s my third response:

    How Fragments Make

    room for new making
    You are the better maker.

    Muscle and skin and idea undone
    reveal shapes unconsidered.

    Pieces of belief disassembled
    into nonsense make a different sense.

    Necessary chaos you can tangle
    Into another order. Praise the entangled.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  11. Hi Jamie,

    My second:

    That Yes

    of your breath as it lets go into the fresher air opportunity offers with open hands,

    an apology for pain given from the giver heals the sores and blemishes, some self inflicted, hands

    over a cup of tea, coffee or glass of fresh greeting
    A wholesome kiss and gleam gladdened eyes

    without expectation of return or reparation,
    sip down electricity that sparkles your bones.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. Hi Jamie,

    Here’s my first response:

    Hallelujahs

    My steady breath and regular beat of my heart as I wake is a fire goaded from the snuffed out taper
    of yesterday.

    Welcome shouts and hugs from my family, opens petals of wonder releases sweet fragrance of warmth.

    Thankyous from the boss of all my efforts curves into smiles of bairns released into the arms of aggrieved parents.

    Hallelujahs out of broken, divorced, stamped out, water logged ashes lick and dance heat and light in eyes renewed.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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