A Prayer to the Archangel Vincent Van Gogh

The archangel Terra Prime confides to all from memory that, “He was one of the twelve originals that landed on Terra 9,000,000 years ago”.

Brothers and sisters, Here is a new prayer to say before painting or drawing or at your table:

Oh, you most holy ancestor of Hannah Ita,

the God of Visual Art on Earth for all time,

I cannot honor you enough, for when

you, on impulse as a therapsid cave dweller

made our first painting on the wall,

teaching Humankind the wonders of that,

you evolved into the Lord of Fine Art forever.

But, forgetfulness set in and even madness,

dear Saint, and without Theodore you

melded into amnesia, ever reborn and thin,

ever a delight to all as the early hero

you became most recently a

dermatologist and,

when bored at times, bestowed on

the skins of lovers wonderful abstract

paintings like Dali or Seurat,

so that they resembled Doris Day or

a chocolate chip.

Forever a god bestowing blessings,

wise, silent and at times invisible visitor

to our rooms,

you remain the Muse of Michelangelo

who was your son.

When you are angry, you morph into

Mephistopheles and do harm.

We Pray, therefore, Vincent,

that you remain mollified,

clement and calm for times

to come.

Bestow on Mary Khazak the

gifts of skill from your Archangel

Van Gogh, of long ago her friend.

Lord, bless us with the aid of

your most ancient archangel

Vincent present in our world

to this day unseen.

AMEN.