Ode to My Bed
This isn’t a place
I want to go—
It’s where I’m put
Or sent
Before I’m ready,
When I’m too busy
To stop my game and say good-bye
To the day.
I’m scared when I’m here
Alone
With my ears hearing
Sounds
All around me,
My thoughts thinking
What might be making
Those noises.
I pull my blue blanket,
My old blue blanket,
Up over my head,
Over Armadillo and One-Eyed Gorilla,
Little Blue Ostrich and Theo the Bear,
And there in our tent we tell stories,
Until our whispers
Turn
Into
Tomorrow.
You’ve captured that childhood feeling of dreading bedtime – the noises, the fear – but also the safety of the blue blanket tenting the child with their stuffed animals with their private conversations. I especially love the line, “Until our whispers turn into tomorrow.” Fabulous poem, Liz! =)
This poem just reminds me never to take my bed for granted – my quilt, the covers, the fresh sheets. Much deserved ode to your bed indeed. 🙂
My favorite lines from your poem:
“And there in our tent we tell stories,
Until our whispers
Turn
Into
Tomorrow.”
🙂
When I saw on TeacherDance that you had an ode to your bed, I was expecting a love poem 🙂 I guess that’s just how I feel about my bed… I love your poem, though! Very believable.
Love the blanket tent, and how you’ve named those stuffed animals that your narrator whispers with–that’s such a vivid childhood experience.
Since I am now having an almost four year old granddaughter for sleepovers, I know about this time all over again, Liz. You’ve captured the feelings so well, & this time, in my new house, she & I have had lots of conversations about the noises especially. The ending, as others have said, is beautiful: “until our whispers turn into tomorrow” Thank you!
I can’t remember a time when my bed wasn’t a source of comfort!
Beautiful…now I’m reminiscing.
Cute! Reminds me of my 3-yr-old, who always needs his blue blanket when its nap-time!
(Still having trouble leaving comments! Hmmm….) Wonderful, Liz – you’ve really captured the variety of emotions at the surface of every child’s day. Thanks for sharing!
I love the rhythm and mood of the poem’s close, Liz. When my kids were little, I always found it funny that they resisted being sent to their rooms or going to bed for the night. As Mom, a quiet bed was the thing I wanted most in the world!