It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize it was I
who healed them.

Hosea 11:3 (inspiration for the end of this poem)

levitate on fears,
on prayers that find
their home
in shadows
of sunlight spread
thinly on a knee-worn
carpet

muddle among
dangers that flicker
in blind spots and
stop signs, a sparkle
of teary light
lost in a
crackle of neglect

pick yourself up,
squirm through the
dust to find a foothold

but it turns to
empty smoke in an ash
pit after the coals
have melted away their
raw wounds, aching
with red pain,
traded for sandpaper tongue.

teach me

how
to
wander
back
to
You
again

palor-wander in Latin (according to Google translate)
phobia-fear