Everything Is a Toy (Except the Toys)

Vanished: the $30 silicone giraffe she swore she’d love.

On the floor: a plastic water bottle, crinkled and chewed.

Clutching: a remote, a receipt, a rogue tissue box.

All the colorful, light-up, FDA-approved fun? Ignored.

Let her play with my dignity, I guess. That’s free.

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Author's Note:

This poem was written for the VOCAL acrostic challenge hosted by D.K. Shepard. I was inspired by my daughter’s ability to ignore every carefully chosen toy in favor of trash and stolen household objects.

Thank you, D.K., for giving me a reason to laugh instead of cry over the $100 worth of abandoned toys in our living room.