Issue 36,  Poetry

If You Cry Hard Enough, God Will Answer Your Prayers

by Jae Eason

How many times have I prayed in wooden pews &
the echo of my voice answered?

They say: drink this,
                           eat this

and the enzymes in my stomach learn how to break
down Jesus’ blood & Jesus’ body and if you recite
your dinnertime prayers, God will give you food and
let you eat it.

And you will pray & we will continue to pray.

Hail Mary, full of grace
you will recite these words – they’ll web inside your
throat until the Book has stifled you.

When you become blue, holes will
carve into your cheeks; you will thank God
that he gave you breath.

And when you think you’re done praying &
you’ve given as much of yourself
as you can to God – he will take
the things most important to you

away.


Jae Eason is a poet from Long Island, New York. Their work can be found in Lolwe, Defunkt Magazine, Santa Clara Review, and others. If they’re not up to all the normal things people usually do, they’re most likely having an existential crisis.