Poetry

THE DINKY TOY

An autobiographical poem inspired by the prompt - an early memory. I was about 4.

BerniethebardSeptember 4, 202647 views

All those who could have told me are now long gone.

Memories are disjointed, bits clinging on.

I'm not certain what year it was when she died.

Too young to understand, too young to have cried.

Males were like intruders in a female land.

Five drab daughters, divided in grief they stand.

Oh to be a toddler not exposed to this.

The smell, the gloom, every smoky, slushy kiss.

A scene that could almost be Victorian.

Characters verging on the Dickensian.

There was a body laid out in a parlour.

Lined, crone like face, masked in a ghostly powder.

All I thought of as I filed past in the dark

was the Christmas present I'd left in the park.

Story image

Reviews (2)

Rachelle Allen

9/4/2026

The Words That Got to Me

every smoky, slushy kiss. *I've never heard this description before, but I know EXACTLY what you are saying. This is writer-perfect and absolutely spot-on.

My gawd, Bernie, look how VIVID this remains for you, even all these decades later! I am surmising this was your grandmother's wake? Oy. Reading about it from a toddler's vantage point is absolutely fascinating. Chilling a bit, too, but fascinating because you remained, as toddlers do, non-invested and on the periphery. The mention of the Christmas present left in the park is also SOOO very "four." I love that you remained so clearly true to your POV. I love the clear-eyed reality you have bestowed with your immense writing talents. xo And PS - I've acquired a knack as a veteran teacher who keeps her students from ages 5 - 18 (in fact, I have some students who PARENTS took from me. I have grandstudents!!): I can look at a photo of a child and tell you the adult it is!!! And the second I saw this photo, I say, "Hey!!! That's Bernie as a little boy!!" Were you a REDHEAD? Your little brother is just blonde, right? But your hair looks red or, at the very least, strawberry blonde! We'll add this to our ever-burgeoning list of why we get along so easily! xoxo

Berniethebard

9/4/2026

Thank you Rachelle. Yes it was my maternal grandmother's wake. I didn't really know her that well. She had five daughters and a strange bunch they were, hence the line I have written. I love reading your comments. They become like a continuation of the original writing. No I wasn't a redhead. I had very dark hair. My brother did have lighter hair than me. You are so right when you say it has remained vivid. Once started this was one of those poems that developed a momentum of its own. xoxo

Rachelle Allen

9/4/2026

That's the most exciting part of writing. It's an adventure because, when you begin something, you never know where it might take you!

edited 9/4/2026

Berniethebard

9/4/2026

Exactly so.

Katharine Folkes

9/5/2026

The Words That Got to Me

Oh to be a toddler not exposed to this. The smell, the gloom, every smoky, slushy kiss. All those who could have told me are now long gone. Memories are disjointed, bits clinging on. A scene that could almost be Victorian. Characters verging on the Dickensian. Oh to be a toddler not exposed to this. The smell, the gloom, every smoky, slushy kiss. ugh!

You were too young, too young, I believe, to see a deceased relative. It seems it's one of those things you've never forgotten. You certainly described it realistically, Bless your heart. I understand your fourth iine very well. Questions I wonder about now that it's too late; there's no relative left to ask. That is a precious picture, Bernie, by the way. As Rachelle said, you are recognizable by your smile. Does dinky have a British meaning different from ours? I've always considered it as meaning " small and of little importance." A meaningful post unfortunately remembered.

Berniethebard

9/5/2026

Thank you very much Katharine for your kind, empathetic comment. Yes it is one of the few clear memories I have from being young and, as you can tell, there is still a part of me that wonders how genuine the memory is. The Christmas present left in the park is all too real though. Dinky is a brand name for toy cars. I had a reasonable collection when I was young. I used to take them on rallies round the house. Thanks for the comment on the photo.