Sidestage

A. Martine

Time passes differently here you were envisioning trampolines now you are headed for concrete sit on your hands sit upright and don’t get comfortable never comfortable who said a bird in the hand should have gone for a different metaphor the puss moth eats its own skin after it has shed it now that is cashing out and cashing in sit your legs under you sit apart sit so they don’t see it when you slouch you’ve landed in worse places with agony and its also-rans so sit so they can’t see your face see it wrinkle wishwashed in fear get yours get yours all the way sit so you still look woman and a threat sit so the whole world knows this here bitch has some power imminent it’s a ten of pentacles kind of day call yourself circe making out of pigs men sit like a trick on the sideline clothe yourself in others’ shadows you’ve landed in worse places you’ve been dragged into the light singled out for your atrocity you said never again now you have to mean it sit by the corner let them take the stage center sit so nimble they mistake you for decor you were headed for concrete now you’re back looking skyward they see you they see only washout misfire letdown they list in order skin gender origin they say I don’t think so so get your shit together you puss-moth, you sit like you’re the last sentence they’d have thought to string together sit like they won’t even know won’t even know what hit them.