Martha from Stuffed Animals by Ryan Caldwell

Martha queen of roses queen of an empire
built on syndicates, substance, corruption and gunfire
and at nights she doesn't sleep
and dreams of all she wants to be
Martha brandishing clippers upon the veranda
her father’s taken a hit out and left her abandoned
and it’s a cruel life she leads
Leaving all she had for all she wants to be
Martha Queen of roses queen of an empire

and she throws her fine gowns all away
the jewelry she displays
The servants saying you can have anything
And she pulls herself out of the teeth of mediocrity
but the marks they still bleed it hurts to believe

Stanley find me my daughter or build your own death pyre
your only job was to watch her, fix this or get fired
I’ve done worse to my own family
would you care to bear witness, and to what degree?
Stanley finder of daughters, avoider of death pyre

And he throws affection all away
the love for her he gave
Romance be damned singing I don’t want to die
and he is pulled back by the teeth to mediocrity
but the marks they still bleed it hurts to believe

The days the pile up one by one
until he spies her car in the bleak November sun
He flies across the city street, god like fire unto his feet
but internal combustion had him beat,
the 60mph Prius he didn’t see

Martha queen of roses queen of and empire
Cradles standby her love, unaware of what came prior
and she promises to be
the dream for which he set her free
Martha seizes her dreams and buys her own greenhouse
Spends her days growing roses and sells them around town
Where none knows her name
or the life she left and all she gave
She’s Martha queen of roses, queen of her empire
and she threw her fine gowns all away
the jewelry she displayed
The servants saying you could have anything
And she pulled herself out of the teeth of mediocrity
but the marks they still bleed it hurts to believe

• Alternative
• Indie
• Pop
• Rock
• singer-songwriter
• St. Charles