Writing Journal 2021

dolly

The dolly on your shelf needed a little bit of help

She wasn't happy way up there with the hand she had been dealt

If her arms weren't so dang small, she might be able to climb down

But seeing as they were, all she could really do was frown

And wait for you to notice her and take her down yourself

If only she had bells to ring like a stupid Christmas elf

Your dolly gave a sigh big enough to fill the room

She hadn't seen a sign of you since Thursday afternoon

Were you ever coming back? She was really starting to wonder

She'd hate to think the truth was that you had gone and shunned her

Wasn't she good enough for you to play with anymore?

Was it her fault if you really did consider her a bore?

All around were toys topped with dust like powder on a cake

But Dolly never thought she'd be the one that you'd forsake

When you were young, you played with her from dusk until the dawn

And you'd combat sleep with not a peep, but several stubborn yawns

As it always did, sleep would win, but there'd be Dolly, tucked right in

Then you'd kiss her head every night, much to her chagrin

Yet there she sat beside a bat and a couple of old balls

She had nothing to do, nothing to see, except of course the walls

Dolly wanted out of there, to live like nothing ever changed

And, after all, it was your fault because you had gone and aged

You left Dolly on your shelf, beside all your older toys

What interested you most these days were all the neighbor boys

"I want to play! I want to dance! I want to be sung to!"

She stomped her feet in anger, turning her heels black and blue

"I'm pretty! And I'm sweet! And I have curls of freaking gold!"

"How dare they shove me up here like I'm old and full of mold!"

Then Dolly got to thinking that waiting was not quite working out

It also didn't do no good to try and scream and shout

If she were to get out of there and live the life she'd want

Then Dolly needed to be brave; it was time for her to hunt

If you didn't come to her, well then, she'd just come to you

If bugs could fly in and out, by golly, Dolly sure could too!

She knew that she would have to jump but she was a bit afraid

The last toy to brave the plunge ended up broken and decayed

"On the count of three. One... two... Eee!" She leapt onto the bed

From there she bounced a couple times before falling on her head

"I better not have messed up my hair! That's all I'm gonna say,"

Said Dolly as she smoothed her dress, so that it wouldn't fray.

"Alright, now where's my silly child. They've got to be somewhere."

Dolly stood and faced the door (after she'd zhuzhed her hair)

She waddled over to the hall. "Damn, these chubby legs!"

"This is going to take all day. It's like walking on two pegs!"

But on she went, Dolly did, she needed to find her kid

Even though walking to the door felt like walking to Madrid

It took her ten, but she did it, and now she faced the stairs

She rolled her eyes, lifted her dress, decided, "Oh, who friggin' cares?"

Bloomers out, Dolly slid along the edge, all dignity was lost

But it saved her time, and she needed it, so it was worth the cost

The final task was the front door, now it was time to plot

She looked it up, she looked it down; her eyes landed on the mail slot

She slapped her gut and took a breath before she sucked it in

She had to squeeze and she felt the breeze on her rear end from the wind

And there she was, stuck again, though this time off the shelf

When you got home, you'd find her there, and think, "Um, what the hell?"

Dolly let her eyes close, but she did it very slow

She didn't want the way she felt deep inside to show

'Cuz Dolly was alone now, she might as well give up

If you didn't want her, well then you could kiss her rump.