The Ghostly Toys

A-tisket a-tasket

A green and yellow basket

I wrote a letter to my love

And on the way I dropped it,

I dropped it,

I dropped it,...

old children's rhyming game

(I mean, the rhyme is old, not the children, of course)

sometimes I wonder where are all the dolls
the picture books the curlicued sleds of
the long gone children

surely there must have been myriads
more than can be seen in the museums
or private collections dusted, dear-

when did they disappear
like sugar snow,
in the cereal.

where did they stash them?
in the rooms of the houses
that all fell down?

in the rings around the rosies?

while playing hide and seek
in grass stained pinafores? or did the toys watch

and then repeat (as best they could)
o tisket and tasket
of the lime and lemon basket...

only, when it came time to

run out from the hiding place-
did they just stay there?
did they stray?

did they fall down knotholes
rabbit holes black holes
confusing the stars?

where are you?
maybe the children cried at first
missing their bears

we've looked for you Everywhere

mary angela douglas 17 october 2015