Teddy Bear

I sit slumped against your pillows, 

fur faded, one eye wiser than the other.

Every hour I stay silent,  I am a decoration—

quiet, creased, collecting dust and daylight.

By night I am a guard dog, brave in the blue hush of your room.

I have swallowed your worries for years,

stitched them into my seams.

You hold me close, I hold your secrets closer.

When the world feels wide and loud, 

I stay small and soft—

a steady heartbeat made of cotton and courage.