an ode to the miscellaneous stuffed animals stowed in my cheetah-print hamper

Style: Poem (ode).

Statement: Stuffed animals are reminders of fond memories, tokens of the past. Through the motif of the stuffed animals in my bedroom hamper and the use of a diary-like poem structure, this poem is an appreciation for childhood and a reflection on the nostalgia of growing older.

you are the enlivened

menagerie motley,

long-term members of the

hibernation hamper.

a pillar of zoo life,

a breathing totem pole,

you shapeshift from robin

to golden retriever

to arabian horse;

the swishing of wings

evolves into

a wave of golden fur,

a prance of dancing hooves;

neighing imbues my dreams.

you are also

“choco chip number 2”:

king of the furry mound,

adopted and welcomed

into my webkinz realm —

you, the understudy,

my interim comfort,

until the shih tzu glued

to my bedroom walls

and outlined in gold stars

clips to a leash held in

my own two loving hands.

“favorite nose hair lamby”:

synthetic fabric sewn

into a loving lamb

with ears rubbed soft and smooth.

embroidery thread loose,

your ears my true solace

and your faded pink fur —

evidently loyal.

and “the forgotten ones”:

hidden beneath the peak,

crushed beneath competitors

yet dutifully aiding

as underlooked support

beams upholding a circus

and the eldest critters.

to my little guardians of the zoo:

continue protecting

from the coziness of

your cheetah-print hamper.