Paper Village Poem by Maya Hanson

What do you see when you look at me?
A wide-eyed dreamer, a mess who adores you
I love the paper village you built for me
I step so blindly, you can lead me too

Like a child I wandered through paper rooms
Everything you said I read into
With wonder I trailed at your royal heels
Like life was perfect and the world was new

Where should we meet tonight? Innocent
Green eyes, leave the room, fool me again
I don't look down as I catch your footsteps
Your paper village hasn't yet met its end

Now I wake up to fire, coughing alone
Now I stumble through flashes and flames
What do you see when you watch me choke?
Beginnings, endings, that's life, the name of the game

Paper walls went up as I fell too fast
I touched, you talked, now it's my turn
Our fragile village was beautiful
should have known how fast it would burn

Where did you think we were going?
I sprint headfirst through the ruins, no choice
Blind me and bait me, lock me up tight
You gave me an adventure so I lost my voice

What do you see when you look at me?
I loved the paper village you built for me
When we fell you set a bullet, lit a match
now I'm singed but you're still not sorry