A Matador's Prayer to Mary - Beyond the Fold

In the still of night, beneath the watchful eye of stars,
I whisper to the heavens, my words sparse.
To Mary, Mother divine, in your grace, I’ve dwelt,
A comfort in the storm, a presence felt.

Your visage, a beacon in my darkest hours,
In your embrace, I've found solace in showers.
Yet here I stand, at the crossroads of belief,
Yearning for freedom, in my heart, a silent grief.

No longer can I walk the path laid before me,
The rituals, the prayers, they no longer set me free.
But, Mother Mary, know this truth inside my heart,
In my journey forward, you’re a part.

I seek not to abandon the love you’ve shown,
But to find a truth that’s solely my own.
A faith not bound by tradition or rite,
But a personal creed, in the soul’s flight.

So, I bid you adieu, not in sorrow or in spite,
But in hope of a dawn, where my spirit takes flight.
Your son taught love, compassion, and grace,
These lessons I carry, as I seek my place.

Mary, Mother, in your eternal embrace,
Grant me the courage to seek my own space.
To live in love, beyond labels and creed,
To find the divine in each thought, word, and deed.

• The Matador