ember belle / cinderella

I like the white space in the fairytale, leaves a lot unread

it was Memphis, 1950 you were sun dance,

nifty empress

tailored to every last inch, born to impress,

feather-trailed hoop dress down the legs of hidden substance,

gown dragging on dirt

that belonged to sunday.

you must have been lawless, that deridden day, sun-kissed

hill and dell when belle met ball and moon meant soon

and sun met noon and you said yes

in that wallpapered room.

so with no remembrance,

you ran with no sense lifeless, mindless, [senseless,]

silly stupid princess

you weren’t meant to be undressed, embraced, in passion intense

but the seams it seems they were

siphoned and in that cold night, sirens

bled deep red presumptuous, pools of magic

pumpkin carriage

godmother deemed you senseless,

promiscuous and in fine dress,

you were scrumptious, sumptuous impossible to resist

eyes-sunken you sulking in that dress who could reject.

so in gloved fistfuls of rage, recourse and regret

you kicked off a slipper, called the uber

in slippery night silkiness ripping

beaded pearl necklace

of breath vessel, you threw in redress

false lace pantalettes,

brimmed hat, gloves, waist trimmed corset.

naked in a taxicab,

in clothes that no longer belonged to the living.