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Theodore

Posted by luigi_pagano on May 13, 2009 - 13:49
from the ABC set Cherry ripe

When I was a toddler,
aged three or four,
mum bought me a teddy
which, in my opinion,
should have been
christened Freddy;
I never understood
why she would persist
on calling him Theodore.
Throughout my childhood
he was a true companion;
fluffy, friendly
and dependable
but - as I grew up -
expendable.
The day when we parted
had been very traumatic
and yet he lay forgotten
for ages, in the attic.
I found him once again
and though his fur was worn
he looked as right as rain.
I felt that it was wrong
to chuck him in the bin
so I put him up for auction,
thinking that he was priceless,
but he went for a song.

© Luigi Pagano 2009

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Comments

SundaysChild | May 13, 2009 - 15:27

I liked this.
Molto bene.

luigi_pagano | May 13, 2009 - 15:36

Grazie mille, gentile signorina.

MistakenMagic | May 13, 2009 - 15:42

I won't even attempt any of my god awful italian in a comment ;) (French is my forte!) Love this Luigi, especially the ending! I still have my teddy - have to hide it when friends come round though!

Magic xxx

luigi_pagano | May 13, 2009 - 16:15

Alors, mercy beaucoup mademoiselle. Hang on to that teddy Rebecca, it could be valuable. I have seen some very scruffy ones going under the hammer for a tidy sum.

Dynamaso | May 14, 2009 - 05:29

Lovely piece, Luigi. I didn't have a teddy, I had a koala. I chewed his nose off and loved him until he fell to pieces. I haven't thought of him for many, many years. Thanks very much for the reminder.

luigi_pagano | May 14, 2009 - 08:16

Hi Mark, thanks for dropping by. I suppose that in your parts a koala would have been just as popular with kids as a teddy was - and still is - over here.
It is the fate of soft toys to be chewed to destruction.

Jasper_Milvain | May 14, 2009 - 21:47

Hi, Luigi. I really liked the poem.
Personally, I found the last two lines here a litle anti-climactic and I might think about an alternative.

I really liked it a lot up until then though, and everyone else here seems to like the ending, and I'm often wrong about all sorts of things and there's no accounting for taste and so I'd be pretty well chuffed if I were you.

I love your irritation at the name, Theodore.

Thanks.
JM.

luigi_pagano | May 15, 2009 - 08:24

You are quite right, Jasper, to express your opinion and very welcome it is too.
You are not wrong in saying that people see things in different ways although you feel that the ending is not what you would have chosen.
What I was trying to convey was that whilst we may consider one of our possessions priceless others might not share our point of view, a fact confirmed by the derisory offer that the bear got at the auction.
Your feedback is very much appreciated.

Silver Spun Sand | May 16, 2009 - 13:50

Finally I have found a moment to have a quick read of what I've been missing.

This is priceless, dear Luigi and many congrats on the well deserved cherry.

I too had a teddy and in fact, at the tender age of five, I wrote my first poem...all about my precious furry companion. If I remember rightly, I turned him into a French teddy 'and when you pressed his tummy, he said,'Oui, Oui!' Although,as you will have guessed, I didn't quite spell it correctly:-)

Love,
Tina xxx

luigi_pagano | May 16, 2009 - 14:23

Dearest Tina, why doesn't it surprise me to hear that you were a precocious child and you wrote your first poem at the age of five? You have the advantage over me.
If I had heard my teddy say 'wee, wee' I would have rushed him to the potty.
Well, hoping that you don't think I am potty, I'll send you my love.

Luigi xxx