toys

used to look back
and tell ourselves
that we’d never get
too old to play,
and we’d never ever
outgrow our toys.
they’d be with us
through it all,
no matter when
or where or how,
and think about it,
andy loved his toys
when he grew up,
we would too, right?

well, we didn’t stop
to think about how
the toys we love can
outgrow us, too.
we can have us
70 years with them,
pass them down to
our children, too,
but you often forget
they do say goodbye.

we say when we’re kids
that the toys are us,
and that we’ll never
grow up, just stay
with the toys we love.
but sometimes, you know,
the weirdest of goodbyes
can be the hardest.

saw it for the last time,
it hit pretty hard,
“stand behind the
yellow tape, please,
no more toys for you,
you can have shelves,
but the toys are out.”

“but why now?
the toys are us!”

“toys are us?
no, toys were us,
and toys are
no longer us.”

the childlike joy
crushed like that,
all the innocence
gone in a flash,
big business steps in,
breaks it all away,
and rips it right out.
i didn’t want to grow up,
none of us did, really,
but it’s time to admit
the unfortunate truth:

no more toys “r” us kids.