Sarah Ramsey
Teddy,
The everlasting witness of domestic
horrors that persist within these walls,
The beating flesh that echos through
our home. Languishing on the bed,
Yet unable to move, unable to help,
The silent, stoic watchman on the way.
Teddy,
Soft and tender is their embrace,
That’s all they have to offer.
There is no replacement for human warmth,
Yet they absorb the afternoon sun
veiling for the moon—on the bed,
Through the glass, the streaks of light,
The only warmth within these walls
Teddy,
Who has held you all this time?
You have held me through dark nights,
When I always missed the sunlight
through the windows to receive its warmth.
You receive it for me and give generously,
So I will hold you with my human warmth
and reflect the sun back to you within these walls.