Careful not to cut the creases,
children cut along drawn lines,
creating a fan-fold stack
resembling a man,
albeit a vertical half–
half a head…half a torso…
an arm…a leg.

As if an accordion, a gentle
opening pumps wholeness
into the paper doll figure,
no longer half but complete as his
full body emerges, joined by
many others, all holding hands,
supportIng one another.