TOADY
Toady,
sure wish
I left you
where you
belong...
But you fit
perfectly
in my small,
cupped,
hand
you felt squishy,
and warm,
and wet,
all at
once
and your breath
poked
around
inside my
but,
my heart broke
when your
breath drifted
away...
Our
ceremony
in your
memory
helped,
but the
lump in my
throat
felt like
forever...
© 2015 Michelle Kogan. All rights reserved.
Lee Bennett Hopkins has challenged us to write a "ME poem" this month, based on one simple moment in your childhood that changed you in some way. Click HERE for more details.
Send your poem to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, September 25th, and one lucky participant will win an autographed copy of Lee's gorgeous new anthology:
It's sad that we carry these "mistakes" with us our whole lives, but it does make for beautiful poetry. Thanks for sharing, Michelle.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's sad and still with me...Too bad we have to learn the hard way sometimes. Thanks for including "Toady" in the "Me" Ditty challenge!
DeleteMICHELLE: I love your poem. It reminds me of "Skipper" by Gwendolyn Brooks in BRONZEVILLE BOYS AND GIRLS. "Toady" is one of those goose bump moments in poetry. Simply lovely. www.leebennetthopkins.com
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Lee!!! I've been trying to find "Skipper" on line, I've found lots of commentary but not the poem. I'll have to look for it at the library or bookstore.
DeleteThanks also for your beautiful words and images that seem to slip off the page effortlessly. I look forward to your newest anthology, "Jumping off Library Shelves!
Aw, poor toady! Poignant poem, Michelle. When my daughter was about 4 she had a toad that met the same fate as your toady...the ceremony helped, but not much. Thanks for sharing. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks Bridget! Sorry also for your daughter.
DeleteI completely understand this one. When I first began to drive, I ran over a frog hopping across the road. I can still see that and it makes me a little sick. Those things stay with us.
ReplyDeleteLove your toad poem, Michelle! This brings me back to my grasshopper collecting days, and the jar full of dead bugs I found the next day in our garage. Air holes--who knew? Not me, apparently.
ReplyDeleteI really love your poem, Michelle (and your sketch). It lets us experience that sad moment right along with you. I was always afraid to touch them myself -- let my friends do it instead and I just looked. But now I wish I had been braver. Thanks for letting me steal a bit of your memory and make it my own.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Michelle Kogan linked me back to your TLD site, Michelle. This is a time to remember Lee Bennett Hopkins as the wonderful literary giant / luminary that he was.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Michelle K linked me back to TLD to read about Lee Bennett Hopkins' ditty challenge. Michelle is honored to have received such a lovely comment from Lee, our dear literacy luminary. May his light continue to shine.
ReplyDelete