JUKE
JOINT
MORNING SEX
We are pushing sixty.
Like snails, when we bloom
out of ourselves to spy
the garden through our blindness
we are dancing slowly,
alert to the flaming
intentions of the stars.
Well, I like to think it.
Imagine it is April.
High above the soft,
forgiving earth, the puddles,
geese stick out their slender
necks for everyone—
you can almost hear them
honking, loose belts on an engine
that turns anyway.
FRIDAY NIGHT
taillights smeared across
an otherwise still
puddle
shy talk with a stranger after a film
Biggie" - Wendy L. Decker"
Mark Jackley is the author of several books of poetry, most recently On the Edge of a Very Small Town, available free by emailing chineseplums@gmail.com. His work has appeared in Fifth Wednesday, Sugar House Review, The Cape Rock, Natural Bridge, and other journals. He lives in Purcellville, VA.
Wendy L. Decker is an artist/art teacher living in Western Massachusetts (originally from the Fingerlakes region of New York State). Wendy received her BFA from Alfred University (with a concentration in Painting, a minor in Education, and dance skills that landed her on the AU Dance Team for 4 years) and received her Master's degree from Boston University. She's unapologetically fascinated with pop-culture and the idea of beauty -- what are current beauty standards and what makes one so attracted to (or un-attracted to) celebrities? Her current body of work has been loosely inspired by the brightly colored, pop grid-portraiture of Chuck Close. Follow her amazing work on Instagram: @wendyldeckerartwork