Babes in Toyland
We weren’t spoiled kids
my sisters and I
Modest presents
under the tree
One year I got
my first and only Barbie
That summer, we got
all our Barbies together
and made them into
Nazi hunters, bringing
bad Germans to justice
(no wonder I married a Jewish guy)
Best of all, my sis
made me a dollhouse
Really, a trollhouse
back in the days when
you could score a troll doll
for a buck, back when
inside the house was
my favorite playground
She worked with balsa
and with crates
designed bedrooms
with ornate curtains
and cool furniture
She also made them clothes
She toiled in secret and
when she unveiled it,
I gotta tell ya,
it was the biggest present
I had ever received…
and the best.
After all these years,
I have this to say:
Thanks, Jo, for
giving me the gifts
of your time and
your loving heart
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For the Thursday Think Tank at Poets United: Playground
Sharp Little Pencil 
Lance
amazing what we remember as valuable. This is a lesson in “value”.
Sharp Little Pencil
Lance, so true. I’ve always cherished handmade items, as well as things found in secondhand shops, more than the “just off the assembly line in China” stuff! Thanks, hon. Peace, Amy
Karen
A lovely message for your sister. I had a troll doll collection! I always took them outside to play!
Sharp Little Pencil
Ours all had names and personalities. The best was this little putt-putt sound my sister would make when they walked, so cute! She was and is a genius with making things work and designing out of thin air… Thanks, Karen! Amy
ella
This was wonderful! You had me hidden under my quilted fort with my Barbies and trolls. I had baby trolls, too. What a beautiful tribute to the bond you two shared!
I love this poem~ So glad you shared, it is truly magical~
Sharp Little Pencil
Ella, I had forgotten about the baby trolls! Oh, they were so cute. Their little butts were a riot, and their flat feet, enabling them (unlike Barbie) to stand upright on my dresser, watching over us girls as we slept. Thanks for another memory! Peace, Amy
dani
i loved the troll dolls much more than Barbie! how wonderful to have a sister like that!
♥
Sharp Little Pencil
Dani, we don’t always get along, but it’s memories like this that keep sisterhood strong. Our elder sister read it, too, and loved it. Thanks, hon! Amy
Hannah Gosselin
I have a sis, and this poem is pure sister magic. I loved this, Amy! We had those cutie trolls, too! Love and smiles~Hannah
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/hannahs-haven/
Sharp Little Pencil
Hannah, THANK YOU for leaving a URL link! And yes, those were the days… we disagree on lots these days, but those memories are made of sterner stuff. They bond us… thanks, honey. Love, Amy
Lindy Lee
Pleasant reflections, dolls & sister…
Sharp Little Pencil
Lindy, those were indeed the days! Thanks, Amy
kaykuala
No sibling rivalry. Instead a wonderful sister and a companion. How nice, Amy! We hear horror stories of disagreements among family members and somebody eventually got hurt. Thank your lucky stars that it was blissful among you. Many others could only wonder why they found the going rough! Great write Ma’am!
Hank
Sharp Little Pencil
Hank, hate to burst your bubble, but we have many disagreements, and of course they all revolve around politics. I’m willing to embrace my sisters’ side, or at least respect it, but they are walking Rush talking points with no logic to back it up, so I’m afraid we don’t talk much. This poem was an offering to both of them… Amy
Sherry Blue Sky
Oh I so love this, Amy. What a wonderful gift from your sister. It reminds me of one Christmas when I painted a small room and made a playroom for my little sister………what a wonderful poem you have written, such a beautiful memory. Did you send it to your sister?
Sharp Little Pencil
I sent it to BOTH sisters. We have huge differences, and this served to patch things up a bit. With three sisters, there’s always some sort of triangulation, and in our case, it’s Rowdy Activist Socialist Homolover Amy vs. the Righteous Tea Party, ha ha. Can’t win, so at least there was a momentary truce! Amy
lolamouse
Wow. This brought back some memories! I had my Barbies hunt down serial killer GI Joes! I loved troll dolls too! Wonderful poem for your sister.
Sharp Little Pencil
Serial killer GI Joes! Oh, that is hilarious. Obviously the kids we hung out with were very cool…! Trolls ruled at the end of the day. They didn’t have pesky shoes that fell off and later you’d step on them in your bare feet and screech a word that would get you in trouble with Mom! Thanks, Lola, Amy
Renee Espriu
Brings back memories of when my oldest dauther lost her troll doll (she held it by its’ hair) and one day we dropped by Dairy Queen and wouldn’t you know it….there on the cash register was her doll. I hoped she wouldn’t see it so ignored it looking at me there but oh, no…she was so excited! The DQ worker simply said, “I knew someone would come back someday for that doll.” ;0
Sharp Little Pencil
Sweet memory of your sister. I used to hold mine by their hair, too, until I discovered it could come unglued! Thanks so much, Renee. Peace, Amy
Renee Espriu
Sorry, I must be tired, Amy. I really do know how to spell ‘daughter’. Yikes!
Sharp Little Pencil
I no hough to spll tu butt sometims I git lazee. ha ha