by Cait Jones
For much of these youthful years, waning now,
I have been half fancied by false redemption
Of sacred cells,
Mocking with their “promises”
To embroider me a new Psyche.
A fresh behaviour, if you will,
But I’d still call it a straitjacket.
They’ll wrap it up with paper they know I can’t write on
That will catch on my ten rings,
Giving papercuts to the ivory I used to like calling my skin,
When I try to break through this cursed old “gift”
They’ve forced upon my collarbones.
Use the language they use,
Sit up straight and speak when you’re addressed;
No one likes a girl who gambles words too much,
And perhaps more importantly,
When she knows exactly how to use them.
When they see what I have penned,
They’re bound to come after me, yes?
Pitchforks, blank pieces of paper
And quills with which they will cut my lip.
But I am not afraid.
For the words I choose to matchmake are not only pondered on—
Very often, they make sense to no one, but their seamstress.
They are the army with which I retaliate.
Cait Roddam Jones is a seventeen-year-old actor, writer and musician. She became a member of the National Youth Theatre at 14, performing her poetry and monologues at their various open mic platforms before going on to train and work with Shakespeare’s Globe in London for nearly 2 years. In August 2023, Cait professionally debuted her acting and writing in a one-woman play titled “The Girl With The Glass Heart” at the Camden People’s Theatre. Cait writes extensively about topics and themes close to her heart, such as feminist issues, mental health and human relationships. Her poem “Onto A Piece Of Paper…” is due to be published in an anthology by Everything Poetry early in 2024.