Hairclips - A perspective poem by Anne Tan

                 A monster champed

                              on a manifold of buildings.

                 An innocent spider clung onto

                             its web fighting to grasp on.

                 A baby’s hand grasping onto

                     the coarse fingers of the parent.

                 A panda’s claws seized

                              onto a chunk of bamboo.

                 A rib cage going against

                     its organism clasped onto itself.

                 A piranha masticated penetratingly

                                    on a lump of seaweed.

                 A rigged claw machine

                               working better than ever.

                 A bear claw ripping away

                       branch over branch off a tree.

                 The clutched hands of your

                   future boss during that interview.