My Friend in the Closet

Ananda Cash

He’s always there,

in the dark,

waiting for you to come in.

Eventually you do go,

because there’s nowhere else to play.

Mom and Dad are busy again,

so you already know they

can’t join the fun.

But that’s okay, because you have all your toys,

and him.

You get your small fuzzy red Elmo chair,

your diverse Barbie dolls,

and your imagination to take with you.

Get the dolls into position,

It's time to start the show.

You sit in your Elmo chair,

break the girls up into groups,

and start the show.

The show goes on for hours, or that’s

what your parents said when they finally found you.

You use your multiple voices

for each doll in the show,

because he said that builds character.

In the end, all the dolls take a bow,

And you can hear him clapping his hands.

You turn to him and ask what he thinks,

but he doesn’t say anything,

he just stares.

You don’t get upset though,

because sometimes he’s too shy to speak.

You would think he could talk with no

problem by now. You’ve known

each other for years.

But then you remember,

he’s just a hole in your closet.