Some More Childhood Toy contributions:
“Buried Treasure”
Somewhere beyond the fallow field,
where the edge drops over pumphouse hill,
in a shallow hollow, hidden well
by tangled growth o vines and roots.
Layered under leaves and twigs
sweet memories lie in an old tin box,
its cherished contents packed with love
and hid in the hollow of pumphouse hill:
—an ivory button from a worn-out dress
—a soother stone…quite flat and smoothed
—a tip feather from a pheasant tail
—a spinner top that hums when spun
—a wishbone with its wish intact
—a glassy marble…the winner’s prize
—a hank of hair, a pretty comb
—a clothespin doll that stands alone.
Frieda Risvold is a writer and poet who lives in Des Moines, Washington.
Childhood Toy Haiku
Empty backyard swing
waits for child with need to fly
to another place.
Frieda Risvold, Des Moines
“Kitty Meow Meow and the Wonder Horse”
Two of my favorite childhood toys were a stuffed white cat, with red and white checked overalls, that I called Kitty Meow Meow, and a Wonder horse. Kitty Meow Meow went everywhere with me, and my baby brother knew he dared not touch her with his grubby little hands. We had tea parties, and she slept on my pillow, snuggling with her soft fur against me all night. She is a bit more faded and her whiskers were chewed off by my cat, Sable, who coincidently had no whiskers.
My other favorite toy was a chestnut colored Wonder horse on springs. I loved watching shows like Rawhide, rocking wildly back and forth and imagining I was riding the range with Rowdy Yates, a very young Clint Eastwood. The squeaking springs probably drove my parents crazy, but they seemed to tolerate it for the sake of my obvious joy. I no longer have the Wonder horse, but I still hold the happy memories in my heart of riding in front of the TV in my straw cowboy hat.
Carol Newman works at Everett Community College and shared this story in True Stories, a class taught by Ariele Huff who eagerly requested using it in Sharing Stories.
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
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