Baby Doll
Maria Rachel Hooley
For years you have carried her,
Snug against your chest,
Cradled in the bend of your arm.
From time to time you have lost her plastic bottle
Or crewed on it.
You have changed her diapers
And sighed over invisible accidents.
You have spanked her bottom
And cried out when the feel of hard plastic
Stung you open palm.
And last night I watched you place her in your bed
Beside her, swathing her tiny body
With the blankets,
Guarding against night’s sudden chill.
You brushed a strand of dark hair from her face
And sang “Puff the Magic Dragon”
Before curling up next to her.
From the doorway, I watched you
Slip your thumb into your mouth
And close your eyes.
For just a moment, I thought of saying,
“You’re too old to suck you thumb.”
But as moonlight spilled onto the bed,
Sketching lines and shadows on the blankets,
I simply held my breath
As sleep visited the stillness.
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