BowTie

by Bethie

He sits upon my bed at night
So I'm not scared without the light

His nose I'll rub three times each day
I send my love to friends that way

Bowtie is more than a toy you see
Oh my gosh, he means so much more to me

Bowtie protects and he defends
I know his love it never ends

Copyright © 1993 Kaitlyn Weathersby

Sharing Pain with Teddy Bear

by Cindy Pike Dunning

Teddy, I've been bad again,
My Mommy told me so;
I'm not quite sure what I did wrong,
But I thought that you might know.

When I woke up this morning,
I knew that she was mad;
Cause she was crying awful hard,
And yelling at my dad.

I tried my best to be real good,
And do just what she said;
I cleaned my room all by myself,
I even made my bed.

But I spilled milk on my good shirt,
When she yelled at me to hurry;
And I guess she didn't hear me,
When I told her I was sorry.

'Cause she hit me awful hard, you see,
And called me funny names;
And told me I was really bad,
And I should be ashamed!

When I said, "I love you, Mommy,"
I guess she didn't understand;
Cause she yelled at me to shut my mouth.
Or I'd get smacked again.

So I came up here to talk to you,
Please tell me what to do;
'Cause I really love my Mommy,
And I know she loves me, too.

And I don't think my Mommy means,
To hit me quite so hard;
I guess sometimes, grown ups forget
How really big they are!

So Teddy, I wish you were real,
And you weren't just a bear;
Then you could help me find a way
To tell Mommies everywhere.

To please try hard to understand.
How sad it makes us feel;
'Cause the outside pain soon goes a way,
But the inside never heals!

And if we could make them listen,
Maybe then they'd understand;
So other children just like me,
Wouldn't have to hurt again.

But for now, I guess I'll hold you tight,
And pretend the pain's not there;
I know you'd never hurt me,
So Goodnight, Teddy Bear!

The Invisible Wall

by Lynne Bergman

I wear my cover
Like the thin plastic film that clings to delicate glass.
Building an invisible wall to keep out painful touches,
Hurtful words.
To ward off the burn of contact with the outside.

But somewhere deep inside,
Where my child lies sad and alone,
We know that same wall keeps us distant from the hugs,
The loving caresses,
Words of support,
Even sometimes, the very air we need to breathe.

But, for today,
We are safe.


© 1999 Lynne Bergman

The Threads of Love and Hope

by Lynne Bergman

Little hands reaching out from within me
Feet wanting to run and play
Tummies hungry for food
Hearts hungry for love..

Tiny eyes peeking through mine
Ears listening to my world
Little hearts needing to be mended
Little souls surfacing for love

What can we do to fill the empty hearts
Soothe the fears
Dry the tears
Heal the wounds

We listen
We respect
We hold
We comfort
We love
We protect

And in our tapestry of selves
We find the threads of love and hope
We learn to love and be loved.


© 1999 Lynne Bergman

Stolen Childhood

by Lynne Tait

What was not then, cannot be now
The river does not flow again
The stream does not return to source
Things are not, for they were not then

The time is past that could have been
And now I mourn my poverty
A loss that can't be overlooked
Because it is the loss of me.

The eyes that never looked in mine
To feed my soul with simple care
Will not come now, those days are gone
My heart is bankrupt, nothing there.

The fearless days I should have laughed
Beneath a magic summer sun
They never came; I never learned
The laughter hasn't yet begun.

The trust to reach out tiny hands
Towards a world that would receive
And welcome, that I never had,
I only learned that smiles deceive.

To rest at night secure and snug
Held by a love that guarded me
Oh what a dream! But nightmare was
My bitter actuality.

To be a child .... I never was
Therefore the children still remain
Crying within, unheard alone
Locked in the vastness of their pain.

© 1999 Lynne Tait

If Teddy Bears Could Talk

by Penny Vaughan

If teddy bears could talk,
what would they say,
what would they tell you,
about the children with whom they play?

They might tell you things
you don't want to hear,
Like mommy hurt Tommy
or daddy is who we fear.

The Teddy Bears of children
are not just some toy,
they're sometimes the only love felt,
by some girl or boy.

So when you see a child
scared and alone,
find him a teddy bear
needing a home.

Know that you've done good
by the deed in your heart,
you've given this child
a place for love to start.

© 1998 Penny Vaughan


Click on image
to get to Penny's Website



UP HIGH AND DOWN LOW
A Poem for My Father
by Sonja

Put me on a pedestal
Praise me I am pure
I sparkle like a crystal
All hearts I will cure

Now bring me down low
Make sure I hit the ground
Everyone will know
I am dirty when found
Visit Sonja's Website

To Daddy from Dolly
by Karen Cohen

little girl, little treasure,
priceless and pure
then i was robbed.
daddy, why did you betray my trust in you?
you were my hero.
then you came like a thief and stole my innocence.
you stabbed my childlike soul and scarred my mind.
like a broke limb that healed crooked
no one to hear. ears stuffed with noise.
but not with my cry of pain and self rejection
who will rescue me?
why was i abandoned?
why was i punished?
wretched fear trapped within the walls of my heart.
my bed is my tomb.
the child within, died.
escape by fantasy?
escape by death?
escape by eviction?
i will not feel again,
do you hear me daddy where ever you are
i will control my pain.
i will turn off my love
no one can touch my vulnerability.
no one is worthy, trust escapes me.
remember daddy you would say dirty little girl, ugly little girl,
i am not brand new, useful for only giving others pleasure
but then daddy, its been that way since i was 3 yrs old.
i am not deserving of love or kindness you said.
like a broken limb that healed crooked.
who will fix my brokeness?
who will give me value?
does Jesus fix dying trees with withered limbs?
As you say daddy every time we perform for you
YOU ARE THE BEST DOLLY EVER!

My Faithful Friend

by Frog

Sometimes mommy doesn't listen
Daddy's always gone.
I wonder if they love me
or if I've done something wrong.

It helps to find a great big tree
and climb it very high.
And sometimes it just helps
to let my feeling out and cry.

Parents are often busy
and at times I feel alone.
So what I do is look to God,
who lives in my Heavenly home.

I ask for Him to help me
understand when I am sad.
He always reassures me
that I wasn't really bad.

God is always with me
when a friend is what I need.
He fills in for busy parents
until they can get freed.

When mom and dad find time for me
I thank my God above,
for he always gives me comfort
until they can give me love.

©1989 Charli Neal

I Lost Myself

by Little Karen, Age 7

I lost myself,
I can't be found.
I've looked and looked
around , around, around.
I've lost myself,
I'm safely hid.
I've lost myself,
I did, I did

I hid in the closet
in a storage box
but that would not stop the fox
I hear the steps on the crankey hardwood floor
coming toward me
I'm safe no more.

He opens the door
with his nasty grin
I have learn to play the game
I give in,
with guilt and shame
I am the little girl
with no name.

I am scared, hurt and begin to cry,
Shut up little girl or mommy dies.
Mommy dies , that can't be.
I know she's sick, yes indeed
But I won't have it hanging over my head.
To see my mother my friend dead.

© Karen Cohen, 1999

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BowTie's owner, Marshall
who wants to talk about his magical teddyBear, BowTie

BowTie was given to me, almost 10 years ago, by Bethie, a (then) 6 year old part of the inner family of a dear friend who has multiple personalities. BowTie resides with me in Maryland but his triplet brothers reside with two other members of a little cyberfamily, one in CA with Bethie (Bowtie3) and the other in MI with Tommy, a 6 year old girl who calls him 'Ti' (Bowtie2).

BowTie's magic has brought a sense of safety and love to those who have been able to give him a hug, either a real hug or a cyberhug. (BowTie is very soft and huggable). BowTie has gotten lots of littles, of the inner families of my dear multiple friends, through a lot of crises but he loves to help littles. BowTie, bowtie2 and bowtie3 had a reunion in Atlanta along with their owners and BowTie has been out to CA and out to MI and travelled to visit still another member of our little cyberfamily in IO so he is a well travelled little teddyBear, indeed.

BowTie writes to his little friends and understands them, and he has become more than a 'pretend friend' to them. If you would like to hear from BowTie, write him.

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Email: bowtie99teddy@netscape.net

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