I Am A Pray Animal

By Jeanette Mayo

As a lifelong champion worrier and trauma survivor, I have resonated with prey animals in my perception of them as skittish, hypervigilant, anxious creatures. Often, I greet squirrels and rabbits with a cheeky “Hello, owl food!”, since I have seen the evidence many times. Yet I am also aware of how successfully prey animals shake off their distress after escaping from a predator; they do not live in a constant state of fear. Wishing some of this ease for myself, and inspired by my love of word play, some months ago I began playing with the idea of calling myself a “pray” animal instead. What would my relationship with my fear be if I thought of myself as a pray animal?

Greg Meyer’s recent message acknowledges that it’s hard not to worry, but it’s also hard not to pray – because prayer is a stance, a way of being, something we already do. The goal is not to pray more, or worry less, but for life to become a prayer. We are already pray animals. I felt compelled to return to my initial wonderings and flesh them out a bit more. I share them with some images of a delightful and enormous bunny I met in a field of flowers back in June.

I am a prey animal.

Foraging for nourishment,

Body poised in perpetual flinch.

Vigilant,

Perceiving the invisible.

Waiting in wince, frozen in flee,

Dancing with danger, which always passes—mostly.

Alert and aware,

I know my place in the web.

It is not my time yet.

What if

What if

Hello, Owl Food photo by jeanette mayo

I am a pray animal.

Foraging for nourishment,

Grazing for grace,

At ease with enough.

I shall not want.

Alert and aware,

I lie down in green pastures—I shall not fear.

Body poised in perpetual welcome,

Curiosity is the cure.

Perceiving the invisible,

I know my place in the web:

Now is my time, the only time.

What if

What if

Chonky Chewer photo by jeanette Mayo