Michelle Martinez

Cory Wright

Cory's blond hair
reflects sunlight,
reminding me
of Christmas card angels.
He spits Big Red gum
into a pile of orange-brown
leaves.
We jog
past eighties-constructed neighborhoods,
dogs bark
behind fence lines.
Scent
of burning cedar
warms
our noses.
He lifts his shirt
to wipe away sweat,
I notice
M-i-c-h-e-l-l-e
is an angry
red
razor cut
on his pale,
flat stomach.
His voice feels
like brown sugar-
grainy, sticky-
this puff of breath lingers
like a speech bubble:
people deal
with emotions
in their own ways.
As we turn
down the pine-needled path,
I tell him,
I don't want to be
anybody's scar.

Feng Shui

Four tin elephants never brought prosperity. The west accosted by metal
corners from sink, stove, broken oven, microwave. Pa qua mirror cracked by
the door. East lacking water, unless you count the toilet that doesn't
flush. Dragon bells rusted silent hang by red silk over my window.
Accumulation of used needles, plastic wrappers. Imperial Garden fast food
molds in white boxes with red characters that offer luck and happiness. Gold
and silver coins I collected, hid under a loose floorboard, have been found,
sold. Wood planks are nailed over windows in the north. Joe asks, "Would you
rather stare at the brick wall?"

Hate Mail from the Grave

Soul, knowing your damnation, move to Hell.
Dark, empowering energy that led
you to commit suicide and child's dread
lamp cord death leaves residue like smeared mel.[1]
You mocked God, Adeleine. Farewell,
I am John's wife now by state and Godhead.
Reverend Latienne, who made us newlyweds,
knows rituals that will purge like calomel.[2]

Once used for Vatican emergency:
wailing, dancing in catacombs beneath
bones of buried children began to gypsy
when nuns blessed too many with monteith-ed[3]
glasses, and lying priests raped them tipsy
of their earthly possessions, except grief.

[1] Pure form of honey. [2] Purgative powder. [3] Bowl for cooling wine glasses.


Michelle Martinez is from Spring, TX and is currently attending Sam Houston State University for M.A. in English. Plum Ruby Review is her first publication.