Teddy Bear Lady

This woman's apartment building closed down for a date with the wrecking ball. I hope she's doing well.


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Teddy Bear Lady
She could have been the mother we were chosen
To suck and love first of all women and worship.
She clutched a ragged, eyeless teddy bear
In one hand, a forty-ounce beer in the other;
Donning the eternal sag of exhaustion, her bleary,
Old yet child-open eyes focused on us.
We knew what was coming.

Same thing each morning:
"Got a smoke?," she rasped in desperation;
The teddy bear's battered limbs trembled
In the embrace of her unwashed arms. "Sorry,
Last one," our usual lie to get her to move on.
We sat and ranted about her fate and ours.
Years later, she's gone, and we're still ranting.