LOVE Poem: I, Paper, by Peyton Cooke

Paper: perfect.
White paper, crisp paper.
I, Pretty paper palace purged of imperfection.

Paper: flawless.
Sharp paper, clean paper.
I, Clean cut canvas of creativity.

Paper: held.
Held?
Slipping…

Paper: lost.
Flying paper, tumbling paper.
I, Soaring, swooping, shredding, screaming.

Paper: fallen.
Dirty paper, crumpled paper.
I, Caked with crust and covered in cuts.

Paper: ugly.
Muddy paper, grubby paper.
I, Hideous, homeless, haggled.
Help?

Paper: found.
Picked up paper, moving paper.
Little girl giggles, grabs. Going. Gone.

Paper: embarrassed.
Yucky paper, ripped paper.
I, To be tossed to terror and—
Wait.
I, Taped with girl’s twinkling smiles of potential?

Paper: healing.
Broken paper, learning paper.
I, Watching worlds whisper new words of meaning.

Paper: growing.
Drawn paper, coloured paper.
I, Scribbled with sensations of silly stardust.

Paper: magnificent.
Blooming paper, bursting paper.
I, Broken yet beautiful, different yet divine.
I, Nameless novel. Not nothing nor ever nothing.
Original paper, proud paper.
I, Paper: perfectly imperfect