Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (unknown)

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
[There are four corners on my bed,
There are four angels over my head.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless this bed that I lay on.]

#12
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is the poem, prayer, and grouping of words that I have been saying since before I can remember. As a child, it guarded me in my slumber, leaving my future secure. After delivering the first verse I would always add: “ There are four corners on my bed, there are four angels over my head. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, bless this bed that I lay on”. Then I would proceed by touching the four posts of my bed with my feet and hands and falling fast asleep. This poem speaks to me because it unites me with all who have repeated it. Though this poem is about vulnerability; there is also a sense of security. The speaker originally asks for protection but there are more possibilities so he or she asks for salvation. The voice contains no doubt or fear; only trust that God is watching over. Reading this poem and remembering my absolute devotion causes me to question my own beliefs and wonder if I can be as secure as this poem. I feel trust is often thrown aside as naiveté, but that is not always the case. Belief is a tangible thing, grounded in faith and God as stated in this poem. More than anything this poem speaks to me because it is the foundation of my beliefs, preaching trust and protection; which inevitably take my soul and my mind to another realm offering a retreat for my soul from the daily struggles I face.