Jack Bedell
Gouffre
—after Frank Relle’s photograph,
Relle Gallery, NOLA 2026
All light is prayer.
Even with flood water
risen halfway up
the church’s front door,
it wakes the building’s
steeple like tolling
the church’s bell
to call us to Mass.
No need to go inside
to be sanctified. Just
look into that light
to know why we visit
this place, why we would
ever dream of staying.
Jack B. Bedell is Professor of English and Coordinator of Creative Writing at Southeastern Louisiana University where he also edits Louisiana Literature and directs the Louisiana Literature Press. Jack’s work has appeared in HAD, Heavy Feather, Identity Theory, The Shore, No Contact, Autofocus, WAS, and other journals. He’s also had pieces included in Best Microfiction and Best Spiritual Literature. His latest collection is Ghost Forest (Mercer University Press, 2024). He served as Louisiana Poet Laureate 2017-2019.