Stapler
Bind us together
With your strong metal arms
Don’t let us be separated
Help us work as one
Binding papers and words
As well as cities and communities
Friends and families
And love and hope
A light click
A simple touch
Creating
An interminable bond
Warning
You can staple my work
My documents
And ribbons to a present
Red, white, and blue
But you can’t staple
My dreams or wishes
And love or freedom
To dream is to wish
And my wish is to dream
To love is to be free
And to be free is to love
So don’t staple me
Don’t even try
— Yujin Son, 16, grade 11