The World is Worth Saving


The world is worth saving,

though the poor damaged thing

doesn't seem worth the trouble.

It has taken some abuse:

the surface is scuffed and cracked,

with tufts of stuffing spilling out.

Still, the world is worth saving:

pick it up from the mud with two fingers

and bring it home. Rinse off

the dirt and excrement,

lay it on a dishtowel to dry,

and tape it back together.

Store it someplace cool and dark

until your next garage sale:

set it out on a folding table

with a tag reading, "25¢." There it will sit

until a raven-haired child sees it,

can't stop looking, and finally

plucks up the courage to hand you a quarter.

Watch her wander off with the world

cradled in her arms, her favorite thing,

just what she always wanted.