Having pawned his watch & overcoat,
he stands in a shabby corduroy suit
painting a muted-grey seascape—
while his wife runs a hat shop.
Joan E. Bauer grew up in Los Angeles, CA and worked for some years as an English and journalism teacher in public and independent schools. Her poems have appeared in The Comstock Review, 5 AM, Main Street Rag, Paper Street, Poet Lore, and other journals.