I watch you as you burn
Tongues of yellow, orange and deepest red
Licking at your yarn head
Nipping, curling around your homespun cloth
Little dolly mine
I cannot bring myself to cry
As momma sobs out loud
Burning with our house
Is Little dolly mine
Your dark, burlap skin
The button eyes, I sowed with pain and care
As grandmomma watched
Little dolly mine
You did nothing to deserve this
You were the best of dolls
The best I ever had
I hugged you close
I dressed you up so carefully
Little dolly mine
I am so sorry
That I cannot rescue you
Not from the flaming house
That burns with evil man’s fire
But I stare at the desecration
And I cannot help but look
At those ice cold eyes that burn
Those eyes that lit the fire
And marched us up and out
The crisp uniforms and barked commands
I would not trust you in their hands
And as we marched away
I glanced at all that is left
Glowing embers of your hair
Ash that once composed your limbs
As I mourn I also shudder
My heart tells me the despite this horror here
You, Little dolly mine
Who burned up in the fire
You were the lucky one.