Our dolls and bears
bicker and pout
as we play our way
toward understanding
adult antagonisms.
This tanka is for Sally. It was sparked by the discovery, last year, of letters from our childhood. We wrote to each other about the adventures of our stuffed animals, of which we each had a whole community. I put the poem of this long ago experience in the present tense because I hope it continues to be part of children’s growing up.
The picture shows a gathering of my bears and dolls, my brothers’ bears, and my cousin Linda’s bears and dolls. I have been trying to remember whether she came to our house or we went to hers to create this version of “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.” I’m thinking the chairs must be ours, because my cousin had no siblings, but I don’t recall. An interesting case of what we remember and what we forget. And the way photographs both help and confuse the issue.
freethoughtandmetaphor 
Mar 23, 2014 @ 17:46:37
A charming poem and story. I enjoyed the reflection on how photographs are involved in what we remember and forget.
Mar 24, 2014 @ 21:43:29
enjoyed your post. thanks for sharing!
I used to have similar gatherings of my dolls and stuffed animals too!
Mar 27, 2014 @ 16:09:25
Thought that big bear in the seat on the left was “big black bear” for a moment. In the what we forget vein of what we remember and forget I couldn’t remember where he came from (still can’t) and wondered had he always been around? But that’s not him.