Martha Cinader

Pretend

Pretend

tell me you’ll mend me into being.
wear me ’til you soil me.
pour bleach on my blemishes.
wring out my tears.
leave me hanging on the line.
let the wind whip me
and carry my questions away.

Interdiction

Interdiction

you’ll find me on deep discount
in the bargain basement
with books of old jokes.
my name was changed to a
comedy of errors
so i didn’t know
when it was my turn.
i could burn.

Rage

Rage

daddy was mean
mommy played along
the song of ages
people in cages real as the feel
of the steal of steel bars
enough handcuffs for all
who disagree with whoever sees
god in the mirror

Whipped

Whipped

Same time.
Same Race.
A horse beating itself
doesn’t believe it’s dead.

ExCiLlusionist

ExCiLlusionist
if you’re a
two percenter
in anything
you’re either
special or special,
hard to get along
with or have a hard time,
or both.
what’s your specialty?

Beware the Preacher

Beware the Preacher

your prison bars wilt
with our Guilt.
nothing’s the same
without Shame.
where you gonna point
now that we’re gone?
how you gonna
get along?

Scapenote

Scapenote

you’re together
cuz of me.
you deserve
each other’s company.
leave my head.
i’m sending a well-fed
goat in my stead.

to Me Too

to Me Too

i was an escaped caged-bird flying confused, full-speed,
into an invisible window.
i was dazed when you,
and you and you and you,
picked me up and pretended
to mend my wings and told me not to
sing cuz my song was all wrong.
i have my own cage now,
and keep the key just for me.

to IT

to IT

of course
you’re obvious
even though no one
mentioned you
to me
i should have seen you
even though you
are invisible

to Whoever Cares

to Divorce

to Divorce

Children will
want to Stay
where a
Soul can Play.

to Wed

to Wed

’til death
of the heart
do us part
the shopping cart.

Dismissal

Dismissal

i told the rat in my basement
that he had to go.
he told me
that he was leaving anyway,
cuz he’d been living off
the unanswered questions
lying around everywhere.
But, now i don’t ask any more.

to Deflect

to Deflect

i look for me in the dark night.
what do i see?

a fire.

a liar burns, twists and turns
in the light, points and screams
shame, tells me i’m the same.
i turned the lock. don’t knock.
don’t promise a better day.

run away.

to Devalue

to Devalue

you hold her of
be you tea
eye am knot
your moos
to con fews
with comp laments.

to Denial

to Denial

you told me
that you
don’t have a nose,
that you
can’t smell my rose,
and i agreed
that you
could bottle my scent
to pay your rent.

Court of Love

Court of Love

Judge Jude says:
be true to your self
or love is a lie.

to the Swan

to: the Swan

i’ve had PTSD ever since
you attacked me, then
trapped me with a name.
i’m not playing that game.

from,
not Leda anymore
or a whore.

to Throat

to Throat

don’t choke.
spit out Truth.
let in fresh air.

Horse Race

Horse Race

i was constrained in a race
i couldn’t win by interlocutors
betting i was trained
to stay on track,
but i dropped the reins
and the load on my back.
now i gallop in the wind
without sin, a sign, or a finish line.

Court of Love

Court of Love

fake futures trading
is legal
but not lovable

Meaning Silence

Meaning Silence

Freedom to fill
the void
with answers,
while imprisoned
in an unspoken lie
hiding in place
without a face.

to Mighty Man

to Mighty Man

You use a girl in distress
as a reason to kill;
change your face;
forget where you had no place
and now don’t want to be or see;
hand her a bitter pill;
promise a better day.
Prey.

to-Butter

to Butter

Get a plate.
I’m a hot potato.
You will drop me.
Smother me, then.
We won’t last. Repast.

Court of Love

Court of Love

Judge Jude says:
Don’t be a rude driver.
Obey the rules Fool.
Don’t ride pride over love.
Proceed with care.
All is fair.

Court of Love

Court of Love

we used to play.
now i pay.
you had me caged
in silent rage.
let me count the ways
365 days.
now i smile.
it’s been a little while.

Bend in the Road

Bend in the Road

i am
a light beam.
my curve
is sculpted
by the gravity
of memory.

Pants on Fire

Pants on Fire

you told me to leave but won’t let go. like you don’t know
why. you cry. weave a lie.
cuz
you’re not seen being mean.
cuz
you want to stay the same way.

i’m a Black Hole

i’m a
Black Hole

i have absorbed
all my days.
my life is
a massive point.

to Angry Abdomen

to Angry Abdomen

abandoned abberated
abhorred ablated
abnegated abominated
aborted abrogated
abstained absolved
abutted abyssed

breathe out
abdicate control

%d bloggers like this: