a variation on a true story




Suzanne's Dolly Gift

Her mother was frail and sick

Had five babies in 5 years

And being the first

It couldn't be worse

For she carried all of their tears

 

Little Suzanne had only one gift

She received it on birthday five

She loved it to death

Until it lost all its breath

And baby doll was never alive

 

But poor old bi-polar Mother

She'd taunt and tease Suzanne

Either so sadly weep

In sorrow too deep

Or fly kites high above children's heads

 

When baby doll's limbs had broken

And she cried "mama" out in pain

Suzanne was told,

"Beware of the old toad,

For he takes children like you out for gain."

 

The little girl would sit in the corner

Staring out into the horrid night

She thought she was bad

Her mother told her she had

All alone against the monsters of fright

 

Never once in this family was taught

Of something bigger, loving, and good

A power of light

A source of all things bright

The unconditional Savior of the misunderstood

 

As Suzanne held on to her dolly

She was surrounded by a warming glow

This feeling was all encasing

The love of Angelic embracing

A Heavenly voice saying, " Oh, Suzanne, I love you so!"

 

Through all the years of her up to 77

The most special gift of all received

Was  birthday number 5

When dear dolly arrived

And Sweet Suzanne felt love, and then, truly believed.

 

 

 





Poetry by Kathy Lockhart
Read 847 times
Written on 2016-11-13 at 01:53

dott Save as a bookmark (requires login)
dott Write a comment (requires login)
dott Send as email (requires login)
dott Print text



An arresting portrait of the relationship between mother and daughter, daughter and dolly. We particularly like the 'warming glow', as the poem makes us feel a bit shivery until that point, and we admire the description of the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. Well done, Kathy (-:>)
2016-11-22


Phyllis J. Rhodes
Sadly beautiful. This shows that heart wounds leave scars forever that can reopen in vulnerable times. But this is also a story of hope, and its source, a Savior who has the power to transform and transcend the wounds. Because I know Suzanne, I can say you've written a novel in these few lines, and lost nothing of the importance of the story. This is a treasure.
2016-11-17


jim The PoetBay support member heart!
The gift of salvation came at five, and lasted a lifetime.

There is something wonderful in knowing this story is true, or a variation of true. It reads gently, and the rhymes give a sense of a children's story, appropriately. And then it reads like a nightmare. But the image of a 77 year old Suzanne reaching back to her five year old self is what lasts.
2016-11-14



This is the best I've seen on this site in a while, I really like this, the way it seems tragic but shifts to beauty in the end. That's something I can relate to.
2016-11-13