List of Prayers That Count

When the thees & thous stopped counting as prayers,
renewing a book at the library
became a prayer of rededication,
reading bad news in the Sunday paper
became a prayer of intercession,
and singing “Take me out to the Ballgame”
became a corporate prayer of praise.
Then, blaring old country songs on the radio
became a prayer of lamentation,
and mailing in an absentee ballot
became a prayer of supplication.
Laughing became a prayer of thanksgiving.
Drinking too many shots with friends 
became a prayer of contrition
and the hangover became the absolution.
At some point, hiking through the woods in silence
became a prayer of petition with the hope
that all the other prayers could at last learn
to decipher the map that will lead them toward listening ears.