Infants Remembered In Silence (IRIS) - Poems

A Bear’s Eye View

By Susan Teel

I see them coming down the aisle.
What are they looking for?
A soft stuffed toy ready to love,
For a wonderful little boy or girl.
I see a mom, a dad and two children,
Maybe I will get to go home with them.

I straighten my tie, put on my best smile,
And fluff up my fur.
Stretching, stretching so hard to be picked.
I hear them talking, they are very sad.
I hear them say I am for a very special little girl.

I am so excited, I can hardly wait.
What will she be like?
Will we have tea parties?
Will we play school?
Will we play dress-up for hours?

I am so excited: they are reaching for me.
We will have so much fun.
We will play and play and play.
I will be her best friend.

After they pick me, we get into the car.
We go for as short ride.
They take me inside this strange building.
Where am I? What am I doing here?
They said I was for a very special little girl.

There she is! They set me at the end of her bed.
This bed is strange, not at all what I had pictured.
It is smaller than I expected and has satin inside and out.
It even has a top, how odd.

You must be sleeping.
I can hardly wait until you awake
And see that I am here to play with you.
We will play and play and play.
We will have so much fun!

The next morning, someone takes me away from you.
Please, no! No, this special little girl will be
So disappointed that I am not here
To play with when she wakes up.
Please, I want to stay with my new friend.
We are going to have tea parties.
We are going to play school and dress-up.
Where are they taking her?

Later, I see someone I recognize.
It must be your Mommie and Daddy.
But where are you?
They say their hearts are broken.
They are so sad.

Here, let me wipe your Mommie’s tears.
Where have you gone?
When will you come back to play?
Your Mommie hugs me tight, very tight.

I feel it raining. No that can’t be.
Your Mommie is sobbing and sobbing.
My fur is all wet.
She says that you will never be able to come
And play with me.
Now I am sobbing, sobbing…

The bear in this poem was given to Faith Killingsworth Teel by her Aunt Gloria and Uncle Frankie Claridy. Faith was born on December 14, 1995 and died December 22, 1995 of renal failure and pneumonia.

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