After prayers, lie cold.

This is the poem that I brought to class today to share in my group...

After Prayers, Lie Cold

by, C.S. Lewis

Arise my body, my small body, we have striven
Enough, and He is merciful; we are forgiven.
Arise small body, puppet-like and pale, and go,
White as the bed-clothes into bed, and cold as snow,
Undress with small, cold fingers and put out the light,
And be alone, hush'd mortal, in the sacred night,
-A meadow whipt flat with the rain, a cup
Emptied and clean, a garment washed and folded up,
Faded in colour, thinned almost to raggedness
By dirt and by the washing of that dirtiness.
Be not too quickly warm again. Lie cold; consent
To weariness' and pardon's watery element.
Drink up the bitter water, breathe the chilly death;
Soon enough comes the riot of our blood and breath.

I don't know what it is about this poem, but it really touches my heart. My mother read this poem to me when I was in High School and I was feeling as though God could not hear me when I prayed. Although I see this poem in a different light than I did when I was younger, I still can pick things out of it and interpret it differently each time I read it. At the beginning of this poem C.S Lewis is on fire with God, and shows how through Christ and prayer we are forgiven. I hold this all to me true. Prayer is such a simple, yet powerful thing. I feel that at the beginning of this poem C.S. Lewis is telling the reader to get into prayer... and inclose yourself in however you need to become close with God and get his guidance. Prayer is something so meaningful that it can turn so much around for you.. so much as your faith to your life. But then in a change of pass C.S. Lewis totally throws the poem for a loop. From going to such a strong opening to now making prayer and people seem so lifeless. When he states that "arise small body, puppet like and pale..." It makes me think that we are just going with the motions of this world and not really getting what God intended for us to get out of it. There is only so much that God can do as our father, but we have to meet him half way. It is as though prayer stopped within the poem, and without it the body became frail and lifeless among the Earth. It then states about becoming cleansed and new, and I see this as Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Because we are all sinners, we sin every day... and there is no changing that. We can only better ourselves. We get so wrapped up in other things that we tend to forget why we are washed cleaned, and how is it that those stains are removed for us. It was all because of Jesus Christ. I think this poem also relates to death and to life. It could be like people that have prayer in their lives... actually choose life... but those who do not have it or Christ have chosen death. This I see to be true... if you just look at a person's life who has Christ opposed to one that doesn't there is quite a difference in the type of life and level of happiness each has. This poem can be interpreted numerous other ways... but this is just my thought on it ! :))