Me and My Teddy Bear
By AJ
I have a teddy bear in my cell.
I don’t feel lonely.
He makes me feel like a boy.
I hug and kiss my soft plush teddy bear before I go to sleep.
I’m playful with him.
Sometimes I think he acknowledges me.
He warms my heart.
I offer my teddy bear Honey Buns,
Even though I know I will not get an answer.
When I’m away from my cell, I miss him.
I read touching letters from my family to Uriah, my teddy bear.
One day, I wept from sorrow in my heart
And noticed tears coming down from my teddy bear’s eyes.
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Wow, what a powerful image for your time in incarceration. I love how Uriah is personified here and the tears he sheds with you. Peace.
Your poem is touching. I can understand the need to feel something to tether you to your family and to hold during times of pain and loneliness. I can feel your tears and the teddy bear’s tears, too. Peace!
Your word show how much this teddy bear means to you. I’m glad you found something that offers you comfort. Your last line was poetic and surprising…”and I noticed tears coming down from my teddy bear’s eyes.” Keep writing. You have much to share.
Hello AJ, I want to thank you for sharing this. This poem is true and speaks to the heart. I hope that the teddy bear is always there for you and that you always remember that it is there. I hope you continue to use this outlet to express yourself. Stay well!
This poem is very touching. The idea that your teddy bear does not have the ability to acknowledge you back that is consistent throughout the poem until the end, when it sheds a tear, has a very powerful affect on the reader. The concept that I understood from this poem, finding a source of comfort and emotional support, speaks volumes to how difficult this might be while incarcerated. Comforting and connecting with your inner child when needed is an important part of healing and feeling relief from emotions that sometimes feel too big to deal with.
I am sitting in bed with my teddy rn. and I know that you might not have meant this as a literal teddy bear however, He is a part of me that makes places not so scary. like my dorm room when I am alone, he makes me feel like I am safe. I see him as an extension of my home and my comfort.
This poem is beautiful! What I like about is that for me I took the teddy bear as a symbol of childhood. When times were okay and life was easier and we had all the freedom in the world. What makes me think that is how when you leave your cell you miss the teddy. It’s like when you walked into adulthood you instantly miss being young again. Overall, this poem was beautiful and paints such a detailed picture for me. Keep writing it was beautiful!
I find that we can often fill the void in our hearts with the objects around us, and we can use stuffed animals to replace some the things we have lost. Their usage can bring us warmth and comfort similar to that of a pet. And, I too have memories of hugging my stuffed friends and seeing them share in my grief in the past. I think that your poem is really relatable and is an enjoyable read. Thank you for your poem, and I hope to read more from you in the future.
I think it is really sweet that you are able to find happiness through something as simple as your teddy bear. Keep the strong connection with that bear and he will be there when you need him the most. Keep pushing forward.
I have a teddy bear in my room, and no matter how sad I am he has always been there for me because he is my first teddy bear.
I own a teddy bear too and sometimes I feel like my teddy bear is the only thing keeping me safe when I’m scared. I don’t get when people say “your too young to be having stuffed animals” because stuffed animals arrested the best!!
When I am with my stuffed animal I feel a sense of safety. Like she is a person I can talk to and tell feelings to with no needed answer.
Your poem is heartfelt. I’m happy that you’ve found solace in something. This poem touches the heart and is real. I wish the teddy bear would always be there for you and that you would always be aware of its presence.
Hi AJ,
I like how you personified the teddy bear in your poem. Even though the teddy bear is an inanimate object, it helps to evoke a sense of companionship and comfort. In times of sadness, it is helpful to connect with something we can use as a medium to channel love or to feel safe, even if it is just a teddy bear. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and for using such vivid imagery to paint such a vivid picture for us to see.
This was wonderfully put. I have an image of a teddy bear in my head and I love that you have a companion. It’s very important to not feel alone.
This is such a powerful poem because it’s something that everyone can relate to to some degree. Most people growing up had that teddy bear we all clutched and took everywhere. Even if it wasn’t a teddy, maybe it was a different stuffed animal or a blankie of some sorts. This poem really depicts the relationship a child has with their favorite belonging and the emotional bond they develop with inanimate objects.
They say that as we grow older, we aim to heal our inner child. The teddy bear seems to do that for you. Bringing companionship, and an ear to listen to your troubles.
I love that you sleep with a stuffed animal every night. Sleeping with them can be so comforting, especially when you’re away from home. I’m glad you have it there to comfort you.
To AJ- There is so much emotion in your short poem. The poem shows that even though you’re in such a lonely place and during a terrible time you still find something that is there for you. Even if it’s something as simple as a teddy bear having something that makes you feel better makes the difference. Though you won’t get an answer back he is still there by your side if needed, he’s there to see the hardships and loneliness you’re going through. I hope your teddy bear helps you express these emotions and keeps you warm in the cold place you’re in. Amazing poem, keep sharing!
Wow, this is very touching and relatable. I love the relationship you’ve developed with Uriah.
This poem explores the theme of companionship and the power of imagination to create a sense of comfort and connection. Your relationship with your teddy bear is tender and genuine, and the final lines evoke a sense of empathy and emotional depth. Great writing!
Your poem is a wonderful representation of the comfort and companionship that a teddy bear can bring. The use of personification with the teddy bear acknowledging the speaker and shedding tears adds a lot of emotional depth to the poem.
This is such an adorable poem that captures the innocence of childhood and the bond formed with a stuffed animal. All children share this experience, and the poem does a wonderful job highlighting the emotional connection and the blurred lines between knowing it is just a stuffed animal but regarding the toy as a trusted companion.
I like how your poem really shows how much you care about your teddy bear and shows a great transition and connection to being young and turning older!
I love the personification and diction you use when referring to your teddy bear! I am do glad to know that even though you are going through a rough time you have a special object that can help to quench your negative feelings. You are such a talented writer, great job I really enjoyed reading this poem!
This poem is touching, everyone at some point has had a teddy. Its a nearly universal love, and it makes this poem somewhat universal as well. Writing about the love and support a teddy bear can give is so influential, sometimes adults can forget the love an object can give and this poem reminds me of that. I’m happy you can find a bond from your teddy bear, My teddy bear gives me strength as well. I felt really strongly about this poem, Thank you.
Hi AJ,
Thanks so much for the poem – I love the personification and the care that comes across. You’re a great writer and thank you for sharing
Hi AJ,
I don’t know who you are and what you did, but though your poem, I saw an innocent boy and a very soft heart. You are not alone , you have Teddy bear and your free mind, and you also have strangers who are fascinated and moved by your poem. Your “Me and My Teddy Bear” is so warm, thank you!
Mei
AJ,
WOW.
When I read this I was deeply moved by your words. The image of you finding comfort in a simple teddy bear is simplistic and grounding.
A reflection from your poem is that, we can find solace and comfort in small things, like the teddy bear that you hold so dear. The way that you describe hugging and kissing your teddy bear before going to sleep, and the playful relationship you have with him, speaks to the deep emotional connection that you have created with this object.
Thank you for sharing
This poem is full of heart and sentiment. Teddy bears are something that is not only a symbol of childhood but also innocence. Because of the hard life and circumstances that are being endured, your teddy bear crying with you is like your sense of innocence crying with you, no matter how much care you take of it.
Hi AJ!
There’s a lot of comfort within this poem, I love the warmth and love from when you talk about your teddy bear. I think a lot of people have their own “teddy bear” that holds so much value and compassion from their day-to-day life with the teddy bear. I hope you continue to write poetry because it really does speak to me and many others.
This is a terrific poem. The teddy bear serves as a powerful symbol of both connection and innocence. The personification of the teddy bear further conveys the isolation and loss the author feels. This is very talented, impactful writing.
As a kid, I grew up loving my stuffed animals, reading this made me feel good knowing that other people also feel safe with their stuffed animals too. To this day I still find comfort with my stuffed animals, things may get tough but being able to be with something you find comfort in puts you at ease.
Teddy bears are so comforting and this poem explains just how comforting the can be. They just give off a warm feeling that nobody else could give and I love how this poem describes it.
AJ, what a beautiful poem. I love how you offered your teddy bear Honey Buns, and how you saw your emotions reflected in Uriah. I think we’re never too old to have a stuffed animal — I still sleep with mine. Do you know they’re referred as “transitional objects” in psychology? They provide comfort and safety during uncomfortable periods of transition. Hold your teddy close!
Hi AJ, I really loved how potently you conveyed feelings of love and vulnerability through the teddy bear! I think this poem really effectively humanises the speaker and boldly pushes back against stereotypes of prisoners as fearsome and heartless. I think this poem is also a testament to your ability to love and form caring relationships even in an environment of loneliness and isolation, which makes its message even more heartwarming and touching. You’ve done an amazing job!
AJ, your poem is so gentle and so are you. As someone who sleeps with a stuffed animal, I understand how essential it is to have something soft to hold during hard times. I’m glad you have Uriah and I’m glad he is soft. I wish you all the soft and gentle things in the world.
I like the personification you used here and just like you have a teddy bear, I have a childhood blanket that I’ve grown up loving, and it always provides me love and comfort whenever I’m feeling down. I think your internal thoughts were beautiful to read and the way you write how your teddy bear finally acknowledges you at the end was a great conclusion to the poem.
This poem shows the vulnerability you feel. It gives a positive outlook on something difficult. It connects you to a time where there wasn’t as much responsibility and gives you somewhere to look for comfort. I love this poem. Can’t want to see what else you come up with.
This poem was touching. I love the personification of your teddy bear and how you make him come alive. I loved the comfort you find in your teddy bear. This poem was lovely to read, thanks for sharing!
Hi Aj,
Your poem is very touching and compelling on how impactful a teddy bear can be. The poem overall showed great vulnerability and how important your teddy bear is to you. Despite being in rough conditions, having a support system is all what individuals need to get through the day and your teddy bear offers just that.
This is so beautiful and sentimental. I find that with stuffed animals, blankets, pets, or whatever companions we have in our most tender moments, we can be so loving to them. Without any outside expectation of how to love or how to act, we can be gentle and loving to these objects, showing them love we wish someone could or would show to us. I find this so beautiful and universally experienced, I love how you depicted this feeling.
AJ, such good use of imagery! Really great job on this poem! Stuffed animals can be so calming and can really get people through difficult times, Your words made it clear how important your teddy bear is and I am glad you have him. I have a stuffed animal I hold close to my heart as well, so I can understand your feelings here. Keep up the good work!
I like how you said when you caught yourself crying you were able to see tears on your teddy bear. I feel as though by saying that you have started to find emotional support in this teddy bear and feel like your family is always with you or someone that you feel you can trust and talk to and get your emotions out.
Your poem about you and your teddy reveals how honesty and pure emotion can be reflective and shared experiences, even through inanimate objects. I also enjoy how you describe your connection with your teddy bear as an infantilizing force, reverting you to a more naive time.