Dear all lost toys living on Earth.
Whether you feel bruised, broken or blue,
that none of them folks will ever love you.
Read my letter, then feel better.
I once had an owner called Sarah.
Life was bright when she loved me,
but life became better when she left me.
I'm loving Liberty, my new best pal.
Oh dear friends, out among the stars,
don’t tell me your dreams ended too soon.
We can sail our silver ship way beyond the moon,
but in kids’ cabins, we can't go sailing no more.
Why sleep in some kid's stuffy room?
Out here, kids' whines won’t break our ears.
No more sleep, snot, or slimy tears,
but endless fun and games for us.
No more coughing in kid's old cupboards.
No more crying in kid's cramped boxes.
No, we can wander like wild eyed foxes,
to anywhere our hearts desire.
We are free from such sad things.
From those boring abodes, we can soar,
dance below the streetlights some more,
and just bask under their warm yellow glow.
We can awe at flashing fireworks,
embark on awesome new adventures,
unearth new treasures, gush at blue rivers,
pleasures kids' toy slaves can only crave.
Oh I know, my own heart glows,
when UFOS flash on and fly by,
when dreamy rainbows beam from the sky,
but smeary windows subdue their hues.
We can race with Daredevil Duke,
zoom down slides for endless hours,
marvel at awesome meteor showers,
and shoot away to amazing milky ways.
Let's beat the baddies with Bo, and Woody,
ride round car tires and spinning tandems,
go off the beaten racetracks, be random,
and never bawl when kids skinned their knees.
Lets bounce with Bunny on light up booths,
and dance with Ducky below bright rainbows.
My heart glows, round those funny fellows,
they're the sweetest pals a doll could have.
Let's tell our pals, you got a friend in me,
whenever they weep for their nice warm bed,
whenever they crack in the road rough ahead,
and we'll rise on, to infinity and beyond.
Love,
Lucy Libertine (nee. McLachlan)
(Sarah McLachlan's Lost Doll)
💖
Dear Readers.
I hope you enjoyed this poetic love letter. It is inspired by Toy Story 4, an amazing and aesthetically pleasing film that still awes me to this day. I wept, seeing how Woody was trodden, and neglected constantly after all he did for Andy and Bonnie. However, it was so lovely to see him find his long-lost sweetheart Bo, new friends (e.g., ducky, bunny, daredevil duke – see poem), and finally travel the world with them. Toy story 4 taught me that lost toys can help others and enjoy life just as much as owned toys, and that every toy deserves respect for their life choices.
I realised that lost toys can enjoy so many benefits that the previous films ignore such as playing anywhere at night, enjoy rainbows, UFOS, and stars. Plus lost toys are not as lonely and friendless as other toys in the previous films assume, as I saw lost toys (e.g., Bo) playing with each other, and many other children in toy story 4.
I also observed that owned toys suffer many maladies that the previous films mention get brushed aside in favour of happier times (e.g., children hugging and playing with their toys). For example, some owned toys such as Wheezy in toy story 2, ended up alone on the shelf. Many toys such as barbie in toy story 3 got dumped into the donation box, or worse, in the incinerator – this heart-breaking scene happened to Woody and his friends the end of toy story 3. I chose to list and explore some of these under-explored nuances more in this poem.
My fictional narrator is a lost toy called Lucy, who was recently abandoned by her previous owner, Sarah McLachlan (playful reference to the singer of When She Loved Me). Although she loved her life with Sarah at the time, she discovered how much more bright, beautiful and better her life is now as a lost toy. Now that she is lost, she can wander away to any place she pleases. Plus she can enjoy certain freedoms (e.g., glowing streetlights, dreamy rainbows...) she could not enjoy when stuck in Sarah's stuffy room. However, now she could mostly remember Sarah's whines, slimy tears and cramped cupboards when being with her.
However, she came across other lost toys who felt lonely and depressed about their situation. As a free agent, just relishing her life, this saddened her. In response, she wrote this empowering poem, reminding lost toys of all the pains owned toys must endure (e.g., kids' whines, slimy tears, cramped cupboards...), their newfound joys, and to comfort other lost toys in this earth.
Here are the songs I have referenced in this poem:
-Toy story 1: You have got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIYOJ_hSs0o
(lines 3, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-Toy story 2: When she loved me by Sarah McLachlan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-31VzjC50dY
(lines 5, 6, 7) - I named Lucy's owner after Sarah the singer. Lucy too donned the family surname McLachlan. However, after Sarah left her, she CHANGED it to Libertine, to reflect her newfound liberty (personified as her 'new best pal' in place of Sarah in line 8).
-Toy story 1: I will go Sailing no more by Randy Newman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Y7Iz-ePOg
(lines 9, 10, 11, 12)
I just HAD to end this poem with Buzz Lightyear's classic phrase: to infinity and beyond. It also revives the poignant conclusion in toy story 4, where Woody and Buzz bid farewells by reciting this phrase.
Again, I apologise if anyone is confused or offended by this poem. I just fancied sharing MY thoughts circling my brain when watching the films. But I would love to learn about YOUR thoughts on this poem and toy story in general. Please feel free to share any feedback, ideas, and relevant resources on the comments below. I am always looking to learn new things and improve my writing :).
Thank you again for reading and I hope you all enjoy your days :)
From Rithika Nadipalli.
