I Ate My Baby Blanket

When asked about a favorite childhood snack,

I paused for a moment, and thought way back.

I loved most snacks, large and small.

And there were some things I didn't eat at all.

At first nothing of note came to mind,

I liked chips, cookies, and many of that kind.

But I had forgotten about something in the past,

That wasn't exactly a food, but still didn't last.

I can't explain exactly why I did it,

Maybe the autism, the nighttime boredom, maybe it didn't quite fit.

Thread by thread, I ate my baby blanket,

Which is a strange fact about myself that I mostly keep private.

Usually I'm too tired to fear being judged by others,

But this probably causes frustration, as my mother's

Baby memory book may only have scraps

Of a blanket that covered her beloved daughter for many naps.

As I chewed and ate that blanket while I lay in the dark,

I never anticipated this memory coming to me like a spark.

Twenty or so years later, I just shake my head.

Was this blanket my food of choice, my favorite to shred?

Not really, but it makes for an interesting true tale.

And a chance to try some poetry, when my writer's mind has gone stale.

Author/Poet's note: Yes, this is unfortunately true. Poetry isn't my strong suit, but I thought it might be fun to write about. Nothing else stood out to me anyway...