Children are taught early on
that this world
is a paper world with two sides.
Boys will play with paper planes
thrusting them into wind.
Then paper boats on rainy days
to portray their paper strength.
Girls will make paper dolls,
their paper husband
and paper child.
Their hands uncut
and edges paper sharp,
so it's okay to weep
if they got paper cut.
Without asking they play
what paper books and paper rules
ask them to be.
Because it is a paper world
adult paper people say.
It is either this or that.
Until came, the Scissor Man
who cuts paper here,
crumples paper there,
and throws them in the bin
if he feels like it,
where paper waste should be
if they lose their paper nationality.
They break, they burn,
they get shredded
into a million pieces
but the adult paper people
does not cry over
wastes like this
for they think there are so
many more trees to
make paper children
with,
because it's a paper world
adult paper people say
it is either this or that.
