ODE TO A PAPER BAG – by Sharon Chalem

Open or empty

I value your input

and I honor your load,

present or impending.

You were born of our longing

to carry more than we could hold,

and you, my humble friend,

are both the carrier and the carried.

You are the color of mushrooms

and masking tape,

the crinkle of dry leaves,

and gritty sand,

a chamber without a ceiling,

a floor, hosting wads and dust.

We rely on your creases and corners,

because you stand like a champion

or fold like a moth.

Considering your ubiquity,

your humility is a wonder

and essential to your anonymity.

Even a king

would use you in a pinch.