PAPER CUTS
A poem by MW


A song is playing on my Spotify, 
in a language I don’t understand. Japanese, maybe? 
It’s probably something about love. 
Lost love, or maybe 
love that didn’t even get to be a full-grown-love. Stillborn love. 

For some reason, they’re always 
about love. 

But maybe this song’s different? 
Maybe 
it’s about that first cold sip of Dr Pepper 
on a sunny day? 
Or trying to find a shortcut in IKEA 
but descending deeper and deeper into the deepest circles of hell 
instead? 

Or maybe 
this song is about a real 
nasty 
paper cut. 

Do they have paper cuts in Japan?