Paper Plane Lullabies

There once was a girl who got carried off by sages

To impressive places in imaginary cages

She toiled and tried with all her might,

to please them and serve them and hide her own fright.

As the days went by, she took in from the air.

All the knowledge, and power and her wisdom grew trite.

After each shift with the sages, she would retreat to her space.

Writing down the magic, leaving no trace singing

Maybe in a plane, a train or on the river that I’ve cried.

One day I’ll get carried away from this paper lullaby

Each evening her sages would riddle to one another to light their own torches.

On a front porch of property with sprawl

Each sage had their own flavour of vices, to stoke an echo and churn chamber.

The girl, chosen for her lackluster one day spoke up with a slight drawl.

The room grew still as her voice wavered, and this is what she said.

Riddle me this, how does the paper you write on give you more freedom than money can buy?

Riddle me this, how does the paper you write on give you more freedom than money can buy!

Again, after each shift with the sages she would retreat to her space.

Writing down the magic, leaving no trace singing

Maybe in a plane, a train or on the river that I’ve cried.

One day I’ll get carried away from this paper lullaby.

Well, the sages put their heads together and served her answer after answer.

A growing panic filled the air as they ran fresh out of ideas,

They were not sure.

Which caused quite a stir

As they could not agree on what to say.

 Finally, they said, okay, we give up. We’re fresh out of ideas; The one thing we can agree on

is that there is no answer to this riddle.

Tell us, they said, what is the answer.

By this point, she had absorbed all of what they collectively stood for, and she stood up.

She quietly picked up the paper and folded it into a plane. It sailed across the shadowy deck.

It grew so big and life size, and in that moment the girl snapped her fingers and hopped on as it whisked her away.

Singing,

This is the day I fly away on my paper plane. The difference between you and me is I know when to leave alone the mundane.

And off she glided with elegance and care without a cuff, up up and way into the air.