The Little Teddy Bear

The Little Teddy Bear

1916
Winds of war blow across the land
Shells fall, whistling their death tune
Gunshots near the village
Tanks and men

A little boy huddles under his bed
Hiding
Clutching all he has left
A teddy bear

Ragged, but sewn well
Buttons for eyes
Small bow upon it’s neck
Soft

His parents gone
The Germans
A wounded GI had found him
And given to him the little Bear

Days come and go
Chilly nights
Warmed only by the touch
Of his cuddly bear

War is over
An orphanage
He clings to his only possession
Now wet with many tears


1944
War again
He marches into battle
Gun at side
Bear, in his backpack

Across fields he runs
Avoiding land mines
Gun fire
Shells


At night
When he sits alone
Out comes his little bear
And away goes the fear

Winter sets in
He is still alive
They come to a small village
In France

Christmas night
War rages on for the town
They break through
And liberate it

House to house
Searching for the enemy
Until he hears her
A little child, crying

He kneels
And looks under the bed
She recoils in fear
Whimpering

Gun set aside
He opens his pack
One last time his hands touch
His little bear

He smiles at it
Then at her
She sees the bear
His smile

His hand slides under the bed
She takes it
Emerging from her hiding place
Clothes tattered and torn

She looks up at him
Tears streaking her little face
Looks at his little bear
And opens her arms


It passes then
From man to child
For once in so many years
He lets it go

She hugs it
Holds it tight
And weeps
Upon her little bear

She carried that bear
For all her years
As she lay upon her deathbed
He was there

No fear
As she passed on that Fall
Her arms tightly holding
Her little bear

It baffled them
As they read her will
Everything went to her family
Except that teddy bear

On Christmas eve
A little boy
In his hospital bed
Waited for Santa

He awoke
Still dark outside
Somewhere over the speakers
Silent night played softly

A package was there
Next to his bed
Tied in a ribbon
Bright, cheery and red

He tore it open
Joy on his face
And laying within
A little teddy bear


He hugged it
And kissed it
Named it Ted
Then brushed off all the leaves it had

He thought it odd
Leaves covered it
And it seemed cold and a little wet
He snuggled it hard, and with it he slept

The attorney sat that night
Remembering the will
He found it strange
What she had said

Take this bear, and give it a box
Put it upon my grave
On my estate plot
And let it be

For it not stay
When it is needed
May it find it’s way
To a child’s arms

Slightly snoring, the little boy slept
A leaf caught in his hair
The bear woke up, and looked about
Blew the leaf off
And hugged his little boy