The Origami paper stack from New York

She’s so proud of her international record.

Tokyo, London, brusseles,

She saw much more than me.

Last summer, she was in New York.

like everyone else who’se been abroad,

She got her parent’s to buy,

All kinds of cool stuff.

I can’t say she doesn’t deserve it, though.

The way she works astounds me.

Keen to do anything we tell her,

And much more on her own.

The model student.

Always smiling and happy,

I hope it will always be so.

May she shine forever.

Today we had a bit about Origami.

And of course, just reading about this,

Is cruel beyond compare.

So the kids were told to bring some color paper.

So after we finished with the boring stuff,

It came time to have some fun.

We all took out the paper squares

And tried to make something cool.

This girl brought a booklet of special folding paper.

It was printed with detailed mandalas in vivid colors.

The quality of the work was so rich.

The papers shiny and comforting to the touch,

Yet tough enough to hold minute folds.

Like a book of reproductions.

Even the smell was overwhelming!

There were also some insturctions about how to make things.

All she had to do is tear a beutiful square of paper,

And make a crane,

Or a dragon,

Or master yoda,

Or a prying mantis.

But how could you tear away a page?

It came all the way from New york,

And it is so beautiful on it’s own!

How could you possibly begin that first step,

Towards the ending, towards the running out.

Imagining this booklet ragged and half empty,

Holding on , despit the ugly , unbearable gap.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful the crane would be,

It just will never make up for the fact,

That you tore those precious pages.

The girl was flustered. So was I.

I suspect she secretely hoped,

That I would give her the order,

That this would be on my hands and concseince,

She’s sharp enough to know.

But I was in the same boat.

I was hoping that she would find the strength,

Where I was too weak.

One day , this girl will do something amazing.

Perhaps a doctor. perhaps a writer.

She has it in her to make the world better.

Will she stumble over these dilemmas again?

The moment of confusion was finally broken.

Another boy, who burns for her in secret,

Offered, gallantly to give her the choice,

Take of his best shade of paper.

She chose a navy-blue piece.

How proud I was.