04-18-2018, 05:21 AM
Teaching Things
Song, video, and story celebrate
forgotten toys, small tragedies of fluff
and clockwork, tearless doll-eyes’ closet fate
to stare unmoved when kids have loved enough.
But what of those purveyed as education,
that taught to type, manipulate and phone?
Toy barns inspired a bygone farming nation;
doll houses built desire and set its tone.
And plastic models, scaled, from first inept
attempt, glue-fingered, matching tab with slot—
their fate is seldom to be fondly kept:
boys throw their worst away, then some are shot.
Toys teach possession first, then to accept
its loss — retaining memories and skill
at loving, managing, which may be kept...
and neat doll homes to furnish and to fill.
Song, video, and story celebrate
forgotten toys, small tragedies of fluff
and clockwork, tearless doll-eyes’ closet fate
to stare unmoved when kids have loved enough.
But what of those purveyed as education,
that taught to type, manipulate and phone?
Toy barns inspired a bygone farming nation;
doll houses built desire and set its tone.
And plastic models, scaled, from first inept
attempt, glue-fingered, matching tab with slot—
their fate is seldom to be fondly kept:
boys throw their worst away, then some are shot.
Toys teach possession first, then to accept
its loss — retaining memories and skill
at loving, managing, which may be kept...
and neat doll homes to furnish and to fill.
Non-practicing atheist