October 13, 2022
Learning to Pray
by Christian Anton Gerard
In the beginning is the beginning again. The always
word beginning with its thick root beg—to beg is how
I began using my hands on a steering wheel, held up
to my face like I was trying to hide something, but that’s
just how a boxer sees his hands’s backs, says block,
how a drag racer sees his fist on the gear shift, says go,
thinking it’s time I tried thinking about my hands
as still, as not needing to move to make minutes
pass: No jab. No block. No throttle. Before right
now I thought life out in seconds, minutes, elapsed
time between beginning and whatever’s after that.
After right now time will still be, but maybe I’ll lapse
inside still, cup my hands instead of balling fists
or gripping the steel, let something else win.