Every waiting room is holy.
As for me I need a priest
or better still his Father
who can give me both story and love
without love stories.
I need a sermon on a grievous sinner
given over to sacred strength
the one voted least likely to turn saint.
Lately I see the appeal of martyrdom.
I’d trade these slowly clogging losses
for zealous cause
a righteous war to die in
a burning building to run into.
How many heroics are suicides, God?
How long do I wait here?
Tell me, oh God, of a grizzly haloed death.
Behavioral Health, 4:29 pm
Jessica L. Walsh is the author of the forthcoming collection Blowdown (Small Harbor, 2026) as well as Book of Gods and Grudges,The List of Last Tries, and How to Break My Neck. Her work has appeared on the Best American Poetry Blog and journals like RHINO, Painted Bride Quarterly, Indianapolis Review, Crab Creek Review, and many more. Poems have been nominated several times for the Pushcart Prize, Best New Poets, and Best of the Net. She received a BA from Kalamazoo College and a PhD from University of Iowa. Originally from small-town Michigan, she currently lives outside of Chicago and teaches at a community college.