an ode to everything I have destroyed

by Sami Shapiro

I used to burn paper to watch the embers fly 

around its crisped edges.

I would draw just for the fun of erasing.

I became addicted to the way the pulp of the eraser 

freed the paper from the harsh graphite 

I had engraved in it.

I loved to tell you how much fun it was 

to turn something into nothing.

Yet you always reminded me

I couldn’t turn something into nothing, 

just 

something else.

You would remind me of the embers and ash 

you were scared of touching, 

that I was ever so fascinated by.

Of the pulp

 mixed with graphite

 we used to rub

 in between our fingers.

And I know you love it 

when I listen to you (instead of indulging in my craving 

for destruction),

So I suppose I didn’t turn 

us into nothing,

Maybe just 

something else.

Sami Shapiro is a reader and writer based in Los Angeles. She currently runs an international literary magazine called The Modern Artists, which explores how artists are impacted by today’s cultural and technological landscape. She is deeply committed to fostering a vibrant and inclusive artistic community.