Origami Bird

by Anna Ruiz

I’m about to fall again
Gabriel come, blow your horn!
don’t be a baby girl,
grow up already!
you’ve danced this dance
10,001 times before,
did you forget your Lover’s face?
was he too conniving for you?
did you cower under his
magic shield?
there is nothing here
but your own puppet strings
never was,
get off your knees
rag doll!
stand up, stand tall
and fall,
perhaps this time
time will tell no one
you have yet to learn
how to fly right,

Madonna of the paper moon,

they’ve cut off your paper wings
and you’re bleeding
rosewater ink again,
you can’t even write this
damned poem down,
you’re only as poor as your
fullest begging bowl

you’re only a paper teardrop away
from drowning in the paper Night,
perfect creature of a paper flight.