Overdue Prayer
The thickened shell
around my heart
cracks
thump-thump, like
a match struck,
struck—
fresh candlelight from
heart-keyhole
glows
I open my lips; one
lumen, like a firefly
escapes—
Bethany Jarmul is the author of two chapbooks—This Strange and Wonderful Existence (Bottlecap Press, 2023)and Take Me Home (Belle Point Press, 2025). Her writing was selected for Best Spiritual Literature 2023, nominated for Best of the Net and Wigleaf Top 50, and published in more than 70 magazines. She earned first place in Women on Writing’s 2023 essay contest. She lives near Pittsburgh. Connect with her at bethanyjarmul.com or on social media: @BethanyJarmul.