On Call
I need to google the average lifespan of a saint.
Important query, yes, because realistically
how long can one walk on water,
burn at a stake, wipe another’s pus-filled sores,
or scrub stone floors with bliss
still fresh on their face?
Does Goliath-sized danger have to fill every frame,
a martyr’s aura shimmer in each scene?
Surely some take breaks, veer off
script, maybe opt for a light side hustle.
All I want is the occasional touch-up,
monthly check-ins, a consultation call
perhaps. And drilling down, what haloed soul
is free today to replace a screen door,
unscrew this bottle of pills, pay my
overdue charge card bill?
Please, you who know … text me
your top three picks for morning despair,
back-burner hope, an empty inbox.
About the Author: Jean Biegun is retired in California after a lifetime in the Midwest. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She has received two Pushcart nominations and written two poetry collections, Hitchhikers to Eden and Edge Effects (2022 and 2024, Kelsay Books). Recent work is in Third Wednesday, The Scarred Tree: Poetry on Moral Injury, Ekstasis, Unbroken, and Thin Places and Sacred Spaces: A Poetry Anthology (Amethyst Press).
Image Credit: Domenico Maggiotto “Saint Teresa of Ávila Contemplating the Cross” Public domain image courtesy of Artvee
As It Ought To Be 