Paper Cuts

She lent me paperclips
when she saw that the egg cup
with the painting of a toy soldier

was empty.
I had shown it to her when she asked
about the coat peg that I'd brought into the office
and screwed in on the Friday
when they were all having drinks

for Lauren's birthday.
She has an oil painting
In her spare bedroom
of juicy apricots.
I looked at the pile of invoices on your desk
she'd written all of the enveloped yourself
I tried to show you how to fold into thirds

so the address would appear in the little plastic window
but you said you enjoyed the process
of writing things out by hand.
When you left
you wrote me a note on the headed paper
I keep in my drawer.
The rest of the day my little finger throbbed
from a paper cut.