AUNT GWEN TOLD ME, IN CONFIDENCE by Kenneth Pobo

AUNT GWEN TOLD ME, IN CONFIDENCE,

that in a previous life she

was Joan Crawford, a shop girl,

a no one can stop girl

who became a star. She glided

down an elegant staircase

in a black gown,

a pearl necklace,

heard L.B. Mayer say,

“Joan, don’t you look lovely!”

Aunt Gwen bartended

at Cal’s Tap, died a pauper.

L. B. Mayer was really

a customer banging his tumbler

on the bar. She never

visited Hollywood

but kept an autographed picture

of Crawford in in her desk—

on top of the one

of her daughter's prom.

Kenneth Pobo has a new chapbook out from Thunderclap Press called Closer Walks. Later this year, Deadly Chaps will bring out his chapbook called Tiny Torn Maps. His work appears Stickman Review, 2River View, Word Riot, Dogzplot and elsewhere.

Street artist unknown.
Photo by Adam Lawrence.

Advanced Base is the new project from Owen Ashworth who was formerly known as Casiotone for Painfully Alone.