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Paper Cut Outs

Freedom NOW for all children around the world

By Zel HarrisonPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 3 min read
6
Paper Cut Outs
Photo by Siddhant Soni on Unsplash

This poem was inspired by World Grand SlamPoetry Champion Harry Baker. It reimagines a world crafted by paper

Paper Cut Outs

In close proximity

WE are the paper cut out children

WE ran into the meadow with our prepared pint size kite project

Paper cut outs clipped to look just alike

Little purposeful paper people

Amazing how a few cuts of paper could etch a long string of little people paired with a plan of delight

They seemed to be dancing

With their arms up beyond peradventure prepared to take flight

And we gathered in a circle and peered up at billowy clouds before the night.

The sun was shining and were squinting and laughing

Perpetual giggling because…

who cares, the fun had just begun

Our bare feet kicked up little piles of dirt as we skipped through the fields

Some of us picked a bunch of colorful poppies

WE spoke the language of our people and we carried loaves of hot bread prepared by our parents

The butter was made fresh from milk cows and our pooled laughter became louder as

WE propelled our crayon faced dolls that were wearing Petunia scribbled dresses, holding hands, playing and singing

And reciting positive pastoral poetry about our freedom living in the country with a pilgrimage without plight. It was about a piece of freedom.

Peace we thought that was in our sight

Freedom were the words of flight

And as our dolls were propelled into the wind they could view the planet where all the people purposely watched the posing dolls in a circle

Waving worldly wildly bending and yielding to the wind

For no other reason than to enjoy planing like a glider, and soaring free as a bird

With happy paper doll thoughts and windswept adventures

The paper people were guided in perpetuity by a string floating along

A paper connected lifeline for the dolls

Lifting high in the sky above the trees through the town, over the hills into the perpetual city

Purposely pirouetting

Spinning and circling taking the paper dolls to new heights

They dipped to the lower elevation as the pressure of the wind made them a little pale

They waved like proper patriots prayerful for a place of posthumous politics that played fair to all people in all places without the necessity of penitence.

No pushing punching premeditating or provoking

Pleeeeasse

the sign said as the paper dolls played

We had a premonition. A paper plane we watched flew above our heads.

Its purpose was unclear but our thoughts were that it began to provoke paper fire over our failing paper dolls

The children began to run pulling the kite string down

Hand over hand the lifeline to paper puppets was the poetry of time

As the fire plumed on the ground

Words could not be poetic any more.

The paper planes became very real and were not there for a performance.

They began to punish our paper platform and crumpled our paper people into our real child hands.

As the children ran for shelter they understood that this was not about play. The adults had taken the paper cut outs way.

In the same meadow where the children played enjoying the carefree freedom and joys of childhood, they are now running for shelter and holding each other’s hands like paper dolls to escape the horrors of war. In our lifetimes we never thought this would happen. We thought that oppression was an archaic memory of the past and that the leaders of every country would respect and honor the long healthy lives of every person. What happened to the freedom and lives of innocent humanity? They have been taken away. Their hopes and dreams burned to ash. Thankfully thousands of adults and children have escaped the war ravaged areas and will survive to rebuild and renew the country for peaceful resolution

NOW

sad poetry
6

About the Creator

Zel Harrison

I travel with a nap sack on my back to gather stories and sit in the circle of humanity.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  3. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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