Of Facades and Oysters

It’s Poetics Tuesday over at the dVerse Poets Pub! Today our writing prompt is to:

“Choose an object from your home or outdoors. Look past the obvious characteristics and uses of this object. Spare us the details. Instead, take us to the connection that it has made with you or what it represents.

What does this object mean? Is their a sentimental attachment? What memories does it hold? (they might not be good ones). How has it’s existence effected you or your life? Does it signify a certain era, event, relationship or transition? What emotion(s) does the object evoke? Is it a symbol of joy, failure, fear, success, childhood, grief, love….? Is there a story? What is this object (to you!) beyond what we see visually.

You may want to add a photo of the object with your poem. Remember to begin with “This is not a ______”

This is not a stuffed animal.

A gift from my brothers—

Yum-Yum is her name.

Still smiling after 58 years

of cuddles and tears,

laughter and joy

the best and the worst.

She knew me when…

the world was my oyster

but I couldn’t get it open.

And when I learned

the hard way that some

oysters are better left closed.

My link to cherished yet fading memories—

to beloved friends, family, and pets

who are no longer here.

She gets that part of me

(the one behind the facade)

that no one’s allowed to see and

even I don’t always understand.

Author: The Abject Muse

Susan Marie Shuman is an author and freelance writer/editor who currently resides in the wilds of Birmingham, AL. She shares her life with four spoiled cats, several friends (not all of them imaginary) one husband and one step-son. When she's not working, Susan enjoys horseback riding, reading, taking her cats for a spin in their pet stroller, and taking naps. An ex-bartender, recovering crash test dummy and all-around late bloomer, Susan graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2004 with a BA in English. She minored in Russian. Long-range goals include visiting Israel, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein. Susan is also planning to launch a micronation which would be called either Suzannistan or Eastern Suzanorovia.

18 thoughts

    1. LOL! When Yum-Yum’s fins were still in tact and she had all of her green and black fur she was quite fetching. I have another stuffed animal named Bunny-Boo that my dad gave me. That poor thing is in really rough shape. My mom had sewn him back together numerous times. You can tell I loved my stuffed animals!

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. So endearing! Looks like Yum-Yum has a few patches on her as well. They carry on like the Skin Horse and The Velveteen Rabbit from one of my favorite children’s stories.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. To me the most touching part of this poem is the connection made between you and your treasured Yum Yum, someone(thing) that understands you the most, sees more than you even see about yourself. That is profound and comforting at the same time.

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  9. Don’t know how I missed this one. Very cool. Like my sister’s Troll Doll collection. Hundreds of them, still residing in their display case(s) & every one of them has a name… Hmmm. For me, it’s antique snuff boxes, and, and, and…
    Salute!

    Liked by 1 person

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