“A Prayer to my Father” by Hope Powell

In August of 2023, we released our fourth Open Call: How might we reimagine healing and transformation with cancer through poetry, art, letters, and stories? The following is a poetry submission we received from this open call.

“My father passed away from cancer when I was 16, and since then I have been trying to reconnect with my father. This is poem about how I try to reconnect with my father. I don’t know if it is healing but it is a transformation of grieving. This year will be five years without my dad and I understand how cancer sucks. I want to connect with others who are trying to stay connected with there passed loved ones.”

Hope Powell

A Prayer to my Father

A Prayer to my Father
I close my eyes and pray in my bed.
I do not bow my head with bended knee.
When I pray I am laying down, I am trying to sleep.
I pray to God
I ask God to tell my dad hello, to ask him how he is and
If my dad ever watches down from heaven to see me.
And after I hear my father’s voice in my head.
A small response of I love you, or I do see you.
I won’t believe it,
It’s just my mind telling me what I want to hear
I don’t remember my father’s voice all the time.
It’s only been five years
I want to see him even if it’s in a dream
And when I pray to see my dad in a dream
I have nightmares from when he was sick
It’s never the comfort I covet for.
When will my prayer be answered, God?
There is no voice in my head after I ask that.
Yet tonight I’ll pray again to hear your voice,
just like I did five years ago.