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(cross posted from GD, but what do they know anyway???)
The Little Teddy Bear
1916
Winds of war blow across the land
Shells fall, whistling their death tune
Gunshots near the village
Tanks and men
A little boy huddles under his bed
Hiding
Clutching all he has left
A teddy bear
Ragged, but sewn well
Buttons for eyes
Small bow upon it’s neck
Soft
His parents gone
The Germans
A wounded GI had found him
And given to him the little Bear
Days come and go
Chilly nights
Warmed only by the touch
Of his cuddly bear
War is over
An orphanage
He clings to his only possession
Now wet with many tears
1944
War again
He marches into battle
Gun at side
Bear, in his backpack
Across fields he runs
Avoiding land mines
Gun fire
Shells
At night
When he sits alone
Out comes his little bear
And away goes the fear
Winter sets in
He is still alive
They come to a small village
In France
Christmas night
War rages on for the town
They break through
And liberate it
House to house
Searching for the enemy
Until he hears her
A little child, crying
He kneels
And looks under the bed
She recoils in fear
Whimpering
Gun set aside
He opens his pack
One last time his hands touch
His little bear
He smiles at it
Then at her
She sees the bear
His smile
His hand slides under the bed
She takes it
Emerging from her hiding place
Clothes tattered and torn
She looks up at him
Tears streaking her little face
Looks at his little bear
And opens her arms
It passes then
From man to child
For once in so many years
He lets it go
She hugs it
Holds it tight
And weeps
Upon her little bear
Final Chapter
She carried that bear
For all her years
As she lay upon her deathbed
He was there
No fear
As she passed on that Fall night
Her arms tightly holding
Her little bear
It baffled them
As they read her will
Everything went to her family
Except that teddy bear
On Christmas eve
A little boy
In his hospital bed
Waited for Santa
He awoke
Still dark outside
Somewhere over the speakers
Silent night played softly
A package was there
Next to his bed
Tied in a ribbon
Bright, cheery and red
He tore it open
Joy on his face
And laying within
A little teddy bear
He hugged it
And kissed it
Named it Ted
Then brushed off all the leaves it had
He thought it odd
Leaves covered it
And it seemed cold and a little wet
He snuggled it hard, and with it he slept
The attorney sat that night
Remembering the will
He found it strange
What she had said
Take this bear, and give it a box
Put it upon my grave
On my estate plot
And let it be
For it won’t stay
When it is needed
May it find it’s way
To a child’s arms
Slightly snoring, the little boy slept
A leaf caught in his hair
The bear woke up, and look about
Blew the leaf off
And hugged his little boy
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