Dear Society,

 

I am not the only toy in your box that feels this way,

But I refuse to lie off to the side

Waiting for you to return and play.

 

Remember when you loved me,

Or at least what looked like me?

I was the epitome of playtime,

And the centerpiece of your life.

 

Straight off the shelf,

Bought by temporary demand.

It wasn’t til two weeks later

That I knew, your love only lasts first glance.

 

Admired from afar,

My beauty shattered when you got too close.

Your unpredicted distaste left me feeling out of place.

I am not that G.I. Joe or Barbie’s Ken,

This figure cracks under pressure,

Feeling so hollow and alone from within.

I drowned in your kiddie pool vision,

Trapped in a plastic box for your amusement.

 

Now I lie in your toy box, just wishing.

Wishing that I was something new.

Wishing that I was fun.

That I could fly.

That I could sing.

That I could make you smile.

Wishing that I could be desirable…again.

 

I should apologize,

For it isn’t your fault that I can’t make you smile.

I am sorry.

I am sorry that I came in the wrong hue.

That what grows from this neck isn’t picture perfect.

That I am only half a foot tall.

That I am too diminutive for accessories.

That I can’t please your jade palette.

 

 *Pause*

 

Or maybe you should apologize,

For it isn’t my fault that you need new things to smile.

You should be ashamed.

You should be ashamed that you only like few hues.

That only shiny things attract your eye.

That all of your other toys come in one size

That your accessories don’t fit toys like I.

That your expectations come with a pedestal that no toy can last on.

 

Now I lie on your toy box, just wishing.

Wishing that I was something new.

Wishing that could be fun.

That I could flip.

That I could skip.

Wishing that I could run.

Run, Run, Run away,

Run away from you.

 

Sincerely,

That Dusty Toy in the Bottom of Your Toy Box