tarek chemaly
three books
2009
\_Front page
\_Strata
read
\_getting the news
  from poems
\_Archewallogy
\_Jnune 7 – 2009
\_earlier writings
(2002/2003)
(| EN | FR |)
o-----////()/---[getting the news from poems]------(| Tarek Chemaly · 2009 |)------¬ contents
NTSC Bethesda 2006

Feline prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the king-
dom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among
women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray
for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. (False start) Hail Mary, full
of Grace, the Lord is with thee. (False start again) Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and
at the hour of death. Amen. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
now, and at the hour of death. Amen.
HailMary,fullofGrace,theLordiswiththee.Blessedartthouamongwomen,andble
ssedisthefruitofthywomb,Jesus.HolyMary,MotherofGod,prayforussinnersnow
,andatthehourofdeath.Amen. (Speed version to cram as many as possible) Ha
ilMary,fullofGrace,theLordiswiththee.Blessedartthouamongwomen,andblesse
disthefruitofthywomb,Jesus.HolyMary,MotherofGod,prayforussinnersnow,an
datthehourofdeath.Amen. (Another one back to back)
I fall into numbness, I try to do the rest of them, but it doesn’t work. I stop
at “Hail Mary” for about fifteen times and then I drop it. It’s a lost cause, no
one can pray in this land. I remembered this british artist, Daisy Delaney,
who made signs such as “No God for 2 miles” and felt like sticking on the
top of my head. God has gone somewhere better or he’s just taking his annual
break. “Hail Mary”, “Hail Mary”, “Hail Mary” and it just doesn’t work. Not
even the mumbling which should be intuitive comes out. Maybe God got lost
in the Zen garden that doubles as kitty litter box. It’s true I saw it on TV with
the woman making a Stonehenge out of its kitty poops. Maybe god was there
when “Oscar” came back to relieve itself and got lost in the melee.
208

Tarek Chemaly, “Feline prayer”, getting the news from poems (2009), p. 208.

Tarek Chemaly’s three books of 2009, published on 111101 with the author’s permission. getting the news from poems: layout Mike Awad. Archewallogy: design Farah Samman, cover Ashekman. Jnune 7 – 2009: with Rami El Khoury, Upstairs Publishing; photographs as credited on each page.