Darice Jones and Stephanie Ross

Stephanie Ross
Response

Paper
By
Darice Jones
Inspiration piece

I made myself thin, malleable
and lightweight

The shape of some happiness
that little kids find
while they’re sniffing their crayons

A piece of paper with concentric circles
from edge to center

I like moving with the wind
I like round curvy shapes
and love deep dark color

When you saw me it put you in mind of a target

So you became gunpowder
Silver
and bullet
you became hair trigger
and heavy of heavy
you became man stance
your legs wide and ears covered
you were one-minded, committed to blowing holes in my center

You strung me up
and pushed me far away

After all, in your mind
I was not you

Just something thin, malleable
lightweight

To give pop to your pain
Pop pop pop

To your one eye open
Pop pop pop

To your pulsing neck vein
and thumping chest

You, marks-woman hit your target
appearing not to breath
and then you had the nerve to smile

While a perfectly good piece of paper art
became hole-riddled trash

You took me home and put me up in a frame
the souvenir that showed you were finally safe.
Perhaps nothing can touch you now.

Written by Darice M. Jones in the Year of Paul Robeson 2021
©2021

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