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Prayer for the Newly Damned Lyrics by Ocean Vuong

Night Sky with Exit Wounds

2016

Dearest Father, forgive me for I have seen.
Behind the wooden fence, a field lit
with summer, a man pressing a shank
to another man's throat. Steel turning to light
on sweat-slick neck. Forgive me
for not twisting this tongue into the shape
of your name. For thinking:
this must be how every prayer
begins---the word Please cleaving
the wind into fragments, into what
a boy hears in his need to know
how pain blesses the body back
to its sinner. The hour suddenly
stilled. The man, his lips pressed
to the black boot. Am I wrong to love
those eyes, to see something so clear
& blue--beg to remain clear
& blue? Did my cheek twitch
when the wet shadow bloomed from his crotch
& trickled into ochre dirt? How quickly
the blade becomes You. But let me begin
again. There's a boy kneeling
in a house with every door kicked open
to summer. There's a question corroding
his tongue. A knife touching
Your finger lodged inside the throat.
Dearest Father, what becomes of the boy
no longer a boy? Please---
what becomes of the shepherd
when the sheep are cannibals?
Credits
Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong

About “Prayer for the Newly Damned” by Ocean Vuong

Read the complete lyrics to "Prayer for the Newly Damned" by Ocean Vuong from the album "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Prayer for the Newly Damned" is performed by Ocean Vuong. from the album "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Prayer for the Newly Damned", explore more songs by Ocean Vuong using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Prayer for the Newly Damned" is credited to Ocean Vuong. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Prayer for the Newly Damned" appears on "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016.

Visit the Ocean Vuong artist page at /artist/ocean-vuong for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.