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.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Love Kate and love her poem!! I especially love your lines about not knowing how exactly how she is feeling and I feel like readers of all ages would love this poem, both to share how they think she’s feeling after reading and to share memories of their own treasured dolls and toys!! Add this to your school visit menu!!!
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Thanks, Mona! It was definitely a quick “in the moment” poem.
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What a sweet discovery and bit of nostalgia, captured lovingly in your poem, Rose.
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Sweet doll. I have my daughters’ doll from neaarly 40 years ago. Great approach to note your wonder in your poem, at how she is feeling.
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My heart still hurts a little when I remember packing up my dolls and stuffed animals for the auction when we cleared Mom’s house. I still have Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, but what of Raggedy Anne, or Puppycat, or the Madame Alexander doll that Mom loved so much more than I did? I hope they are continuing to be loved.
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We’ll probably end up passing most of the dolls onto a new home, too. Better to be loved than to sit in an attic crate.
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It’s so loving to write a poem about your daughter’s doll, Rose. I love that ending, being right with her! My dolls are long gone, but I still have a beloved teddy bear!
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Some things are just too precious to part with.
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Wow! I love that you found this and I love that last line!
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Hi wonderful Rose. This sweet poem makes me wonder what you & your hubby may find next! I like the thought about the ambiguity of the missing expression. It does help when we hope these passed-along childhood comforts are able to be enjoyed by another family. My own child days’ hand puppet teddy bear came with me to schoo; as a reading volunteer & so did our daughter’s polar bear hand puppet & we kept them where they are on display on a high shelf!
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Love this, Rose — I have a PB of an old teddy bear that evokes a similar feel — wanting to know how he feels. :)
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Having had 3 daughters, I still have many of their dolls. Now they come out to play with grandchildren. I love this little poem about Kate, sweet and so relatable to children.
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Rose, your memorabilia in the attic offered you the chance to pause, reflect, and write. Kate is such an endearing treasure and so is your poem. Thanks for sharing a piece of you memories.
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