Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Pippi Disenchanted

She sat me down, with a long face
and said we need to talk.
I bit my lip
and started twirling my braids
with nervousness
She’s the grown up here
I don’t like grown ups

“It’s time for a change Pippi,
we’re running out of gold coins,
Villa Kulla is in disrepair,
Tommy and Annika have gone off
to college and started families of their own. 
Gone are the days, fading they are,
that we could run around town, with wild abandon,
eating candy, buying toys.
Gone are the days that Conrad’s super glue
could fix everything and hold it all together.”

I just sat there, spinning round and round
on my stool.  She said we have to get a real job,
she said we have to make some plans.
She said, we have to do something.
I didn’t cry, because Pippi’s don’t cry.
I thought about running away from home,
but the hot air balloon bed, flying car
and bicycle with no wheels
aren’t working anymore.

So I shook on it, looking into her scared,
grown up eyes, and I promised her
that I would try,
and be that voice to help her
feel strong when she felt scared
to go on interviews, to walk into big places.
To help her when she was feeling afraid
of grown ups,
and make jokes behind their backs
to make her laugh, until one day,
we can live in Villa Kulla again,
and eat candy all day,
search for Schpunks,
and make the mayor eat dandelions
in his sleep.

~Jenny

1 comment:

Laura said...

Pippi knows to make everything fun. And no matter how crazy things get, it always works out for her. She never seems to go on her adventures alone, she always brings her friends, the people who believe in her.

This is a beautiful piece.