big gay lottery
there is such a thing called the big gay lottery
a game with odds that are not in your favor
but are by no means unbeatable.
what is tricky, though
is that this lottery is two-stepped
and while winning half the lottery is, in itself,
entirely wonderful
it is the ones who obtain both parts
who are the true big gay lottery winners.
the big gay lottery is not sanctioned by
anyone, and it is free to play.
the only entry fee is liking other dudes.
in order to win the big gay lottery
one boy (assuming, of course, that he has
paid his entry fee)
must have…in no particular order:
1. a loving, supportive family that is accepting
and
2. a boyfriend to share his life with
Joseph Anthony is a twenty-six-year-old writer from New Jersey. He is the author of An Uneaten Breakfast: Collected Stories and Poems and The Alphabet of Dating (both available at Diamond Mill Press). His writing has been featured in literary magazines such as Danse Macabre, The Corner Club Press, Samsara, and Yellow Chair Review, among others. Anthony is currently working on a gay-themed poetry collection, forthcoming in the summer of 2016. When he is not writing, Anthony is busy working with first and second grade autistic students. Follow his gay poetry Instagram page @gaypoetry for daily poems as well as information about his new book, which will include the poem “big gay lottery” first published in this issue 13 of Lavender Review.
