Prayer

The mad woman
spouted dying graces,
spoke out for loved ones:
     Slice them open, oh Lord,
     and drain each drop of blood.
     Embalm them with fluids
     of Christ and his perfect love.
Afterwards, she rattled on,
relieved time had allowed
her prayer be known.

Sam Barbee has a new collection, Apertures of Voluptuous Force (2022, Redhawk Publishing). He has three previous poetry collections, including That Rain We Needed (2016, Press 53), a nominee for the Roanoke-Chowan Award as one of North Carolina's best poetry collections of 2016; and is a two-time Pushcart nominee.

Find more by Sam Barbee in the Author Index.