A room once echoed with laughter
bad dreams and calls for dad
Big bear the protector, always was there
Grew and learned to count
one, two, three
“Cute little girl! at your age your free!”
Sparkling blue eyes corrected the Maitre ‘D
“I am FOUR! Not free!”
Booster seat her favorite place
She found them anywhere she wentĀ
She could sit in “Grownup” Space
Movies too! As she grew
Booster seats for you-know-who
Hair like burnished copper
(It gave her the name)Ā
runing with boys,
she grew so tall
Sister by her side
they played t-ball
Sat in their room
Voices of princessesĀ
Playing their part
Tea here with the prince
Nail polish
a new discovery
So fun you think?
In his chair daddy is sleeping
Let’s paint his toenails pink
a color worn with pride
The princess made sure
“Wear Sandals outside!”
Once shorter than the switch for the light
taller she grew
Seeming overnight.Ā
Taller than the mantel
(The year before she had to hop)Ā
still would crawl in bed,Ā
sleeping in between mom’n’pop
One day, the little girlĀ
no longer comes to cuddle
Too old now you see
That era now is a history
Moved to her own room
she paints on her own
Make it purple!
Ceiling fan is her own
a bed built by dad
strong as stone
Travels she goes on
With her sisterĀ
that should amaze ya
They brought back someĀ of the little island called
‘Straya
Picked up an Aussie twang
Still stuck with a West Coast slang
Australian flag adorned her door
KoalasĀ
name plates
and pirate too.
But what the heck
She put a sign up
“this room’s a wreck”
Dresses found
and braces worn
the grinning child
loved to be adorned
Halloween she come admire
Lady bugs and a costume found
She wore red and black forĀ a year
Echos of her laughter
and her memories are here
this is the only home she known
now comes the fear.
Standing in her room
the door still with decor
but the room is empty
I watched her go
Stood on the walk,
until she got to the turn
then she was gone
the heart hurtĀ
the eyes did burn
Standing in the room
empty of toys
on the wall pictures of friends
both girls and boys.
Turned a circle
the walls echoed the noise.
A spooky heart stopping soundĀ
like the wolf in the wild
an odd soundĀ you see
The howl long and plaintiveĀ
for the missing childĀ
came from me.Ā
Ā©2015 Dash McCallen
