A prayer, a wish, a hope

Before the poem 'A Friend's Prayer', your book, Poorvi, gives you three sentences on page 52 and asks which one is closest to a prayer. Let us look at them.

'I wish my friend brings idli in her tiffin tomorrow.' This is a wish: something we would like to happen, often something small or just for fun. Notice who gets the idli: you do.

'I hope my friend and I win the race tomorrow.' This is a hope: something we want to happen and think might happen. Again, you win too.

'May my friend get well soon.' This is closest to a prayer. A prayer asks, with a full heart, for something good to come to someone else, and asks nothing for yourself. Sentences that begin with the word 'May' like this, such as 'May my grandmother stay healthy', are like prayers.

The poem you will read next is a prayer for friendship. Its title, 'A Friend's Prayer', means the prayer of a friend, just as 'Anisha's pen' means the pen of Anisha.