Joyce in Washington

sometimes
you can see
her
breasts

and they
were
nice
even
at
60

a leopard skin
print
slip
showing
through a
slit
skirt
wrapped tight
around
a good
figure
like
pin up
girls
of
her
day

and short
red
hair cut
perky
on the nape
of her
neck

more life
in her
than
many
daughters
and
granddaughters
on the
train

and she’s set
to
survive

she knows
how to
turn
the computer
off
and walk
away

she still
remembers

On a Roll

Spilling your guts in a New Jersey
hotel room, wishing you and your son-
in-laws were never born—
when is she going to dump
that asshole she’s with—
keeps talking about her
relationship, but feminist
bullshit never woke up
to his free ride—and free
sex!—she never learned
that from me or your mother!
Then he bugs out,
leaving her with the rent,
and she moves out following him
back, carrying it all herself,
throwing out her back for
a chiropractor’s care—all
quacks, I told her—but
she calls up, says Dad,
the insurance has a 700 dollar
deductible—I know that—
and guess who pays?
Your mother wants to go
back to work at Ames so your
sister can do what she wants—
what do you want to do that
for? My god, these women
are going to kill
me

Women’s Work is Never Done

There’s nothing left in this world
for little dreamer, little piece of cake
on a plate studded with diamonds; diamonds
are a girl’s best friend whispered
loudly upon frosting like a million
opening lines going back
to the stone age in long drawn coprophiliac
leer, coming to think about daddy
loud and clear, daddy tall and strong,
back to the drawing board, back to the
bassinet, back to the kitchen
like little dreamer deaf and blind
and no one to care with two hands
under and a short jerk to let her
know when to rise

Jeff Bagato A multi-media artist living near Washington, DC, Jeff Bagato produces poetry and prose as well as electronic music and glitch video. Some of his poetry and visuals have appeared in Chiron Review, Slipstream, Synchronized Chaos, Angry Old Man, and Outlaw Poetry. Some short fiction has appeared in Danse Macabre and Horror Sleaze Trash. He has published nineteen books, all available through the usual online markets, including Savage Magic (poetry) and The Toothpick Fairy (fiction). A blog about his writing and publishing efforts can be found by clicking here…