Polly Pinkerton and Her Blankie

* This story was written for Keenan, before moving away from his little best friend, Evan. They were both 2 years old.
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Polly Pinkerton was a little girl
with bright green eyes and golden curls.
Her family moved next door one week,
which excited me, for you see
I was the only girl on the block;
with no one to play with or to talk.

I invited her to come play with me
and when she came she brought her blankie.
In fact wherever we went she tagged it along,
whether playing with dolls or singing silly songs.
Being six I thought she was a little old
to be toting a blankie in her hold.

Other kids at school made fun of me
for playing with the with girl and her blankie.
Once a boy snatched it up, and Polly began to cry.
I helped her get it back, but I had to know why-
Why did she drag around that hideous thing
to the yard or the park, or swinging on swings?

When I asked Polly the question her eyes filled with tears.
She said, "I've had since I was a baby. It helps calms my fears.
I know I'm too old to carry this around.
I must find a way to lay this blankie down.
Will you help me get rid of if for good?" Polly asked.
Of course I said yes though it would be no easy task.

From that day forward, when Polly and I played
I tried to help her forget the blankie she put away.
And if she started feeling lonely or down or afraid,
We would sing happy songs, recite poems or pray.
It worked! It worked! She didn't need it anymore.
Now we could do the things we haven't done before.

Riding bikes, swimming, making angels in the sand.
Polly Pinkerton simply became my best friend.
Then one afternoon my mother gave me bad news.
My dad got a new job and we would have to move.
As we packed the last box and loaded up the van,
My eyes filled with tears and down my cheeks they ran.

I looked over at Polly's house to wave good-bye
when she called, "Hang on! I left something inside!"
She came out with a box wrapped in a pink bow
and said, "Open it now before you go!
I'm giving you this gift so you'll never forget me."
And I opened the box to find her beautiful blankie.

The End.


COPYRIGHT 1996. Emma C Miller. Any reproduction of this story may not be made without express written consent of the author.