A Prayer for An End to the War in Syria

I pray for an end to the war in Syria.

I pray that the Syrians, their sand, and the Syrian stone,

Witness to such great evil and great love,

Will once more return to calm

So that the Syrian people,
Heavy with their history of evil and love

Will be able to return to lives--

Not of peace and quiet--

For that is too big a request for a simple prayer,

But to a life of pain-free aging,

Aging which will let the several tribes

Forsake their hatred.

That is my prayer.

--July 13, 2013