It’s Poetry Friday! Jan has the roundup at Bookseedstudio where she shares a lovely tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

When you live in a home for almost 48 years, you’re bound to collect some things. Well, maybe a lot of things. Every so often, my husband and I do some clearing of the many boxes that live in our basement and attic. This week yielded several crates of my daughter’s dolls. In the midst of a flood of memories, this one especially caught my attention:

Me and Kate

My doll Kate is cuddly soft,
made of cloth and sewn with love.

She wears a face that’s framed in curls
spilling from a bright pink bow.

She sees the world through painted eyes
above her rosy freckled cheeks.

But missing is a nose and mouth
to let me know just how she feels.

Is she happy, sad, or mad?
Does she have a worried thought?

I search my heart to find the clue
because my feelings are hers, too.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

Thanks for reading. Be safe and take good care.