Ryan Piper

The Paper Mill

Cut it down with your hatchet
Make a pile of sticks right beside it
Rip the roots for a memento mori
burn it till it looks like old glory.

Chip it down to oatmeal sludge
Move the pot to a drudge
Reshape it to a Ronald Regan
Or leave it as Tylor’s pagan.

Seal it up or throw it out
Promise gold to make it never doubt
Write its dreams
Write its freedom
Write it hopes
Until it screams.