Inspired by Elsa Sjunneson’s essay
‘How to Make a Paper Crane from Rage’
A piece of origami paper
Flashing pure, clean white
To iridescent teal 1234
5 the age I first screamed out in enough pain
To be believed
My head locked
My throat locked eyes locked
On the medical wonder
Needles on a bumpy road spine
Pink Easter- egg back
IV shadows follow me home for playmates.
Fold the paper in half
Across itself
A permanent crease
Repeat until there are folds and hard lines
Make a square with an opening wide enough
To shove a permanent smile in to
‘Everyone gets sick’
‘Everyone gets tired’
‘You are being lazy’
‘We know you have a history’
‘Suck it up and do something’.
I suck it up with a good attitude and do something
I fulfill my role while I turn grey and run fevers of 104
I surpass my role while I can barely stand
I will not be a burden.
Fold the corners in to make a kite
I do not use this kite to escape
It is bad but it isn’t bad enough
I look bad but I don’t look bad enough
Fold down the wings
‘It won’t kill you. You are just going to be in pain
Fold down the head
We think that’s an acceptable level of untreatable condition’.
A piece of origami paper
Flashing pure, clean white
To iridescent teal
1 Pain makes a person mad
2 Shove down enough, anything can become fuel
3 They were not wings
4 My head will not be bent down
5 They were not wings
Tick…tick…..
