On October 17th my granddaughters and I invited you to weigh in with your suggested follow-ups to the sentence, “May each of us remove one stone. Your responses (found below) were varied, clever, and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing them.

Cheryl Yarek writes: 

May each of us remove one stone

from the enemy’s hand,

from the angry one’s heart,

from the shoe of a walking friend or foe.

Shell writes:

May each of us

remove one stone

to sense its texture

with listening fingertips.

May each of us

remove one stone

and know the message

that mute stone speaks.

Junie B writes:

May each of us remove one stone, said Joan

and finally put down our damn smart phone

to look around, breathe deeply and appreciate

what God has given us in this imperfect landscape.

In the midst of our hectic days filled with flurry,

we stop, take a breath, and slow down our hurry

to love and risk being present in this day

so our hearts will be able to come out and play.

Dabney writes:

May each of us remove one stone

From the pile we keep for casting

And feel how it could break a bone

And how the hurt would last.

And turning, see it as our own

To do with as we will

            And put it in a safer place.

Peace, be still.

Jane Bowe writes:

Like Lazarus,

Once dead to this world –

May we rise and see all things

In a new light.

May shadows, now revealed

By this Holy Gift of Illumination

And grace

Be owned.

May each of us remove one stone.

Joy Celeste Crawford writes:

May each of us remove one stone that is not love

Until love alone remains.