It's a Small World

This week's theme is 'miniatures'. Obviously young children are enthralled by small figures, animals, vehicles etc that they can hold in their hands, move about into different positions, enact with, talk to and generally enjoy.

When my son was very young I made a play mat from a sheet... there was a railway track went round the centre for his clockwork train, roads led out with crossings and junctions. On one corner was a farm with space for 'Lego' buildings, fields for animals, a farmyard with tractors. The opposite corner had a zoo for all his 'wild' animals and a duck pond in the centre... to this day I am not sure who got the greatest pleasure from playing with this ! For I was transported back to the doll's house I had as a child. It seems that adults are drawn to a  miniature world, as many women have a doll's house that they decorate, furnish and tend to. I would be tempted to have one, if I had the room! Men too can enjoy model making, collecting model cars, flying model planes, wargaming and the like. So it seems that it it might be good for the soul to interact in some way with a miniature world. 

As my son grew older he was enthralled by 'Star Wars' and collected the charterers and craft from the films. He also did wargaming... which I must admit was beyond me!

So it is that the 'small' world is captivating. Why! Small figures accompanied the dead on their way in many ancient cultures. 

My piece for today is about the doll's house I was given by a friend of my father. He had made the house and the furniture inside. It was, thinking back, in a 1940's style... I loved playing with it, making curtains, bedspreads, rugs etc  and was rather upset when my mother decided it was time for it to go to a family with 3 girls... I wonder what became of it ?

Doll's House

Look through the window-
An eternal fire is burning in the grate.

The furniture is 1940's style -
Handmade.
The dog on the rug is silent and never moves,
A baby in the cot doesn't grow!
Mother is in the kitchen, leaning against the wall-
She has to , else she'd fall!

Look at the garden!
Climbing roses painted on the porch-
A small tree in a pot-
Plastic.
Table and chairs set out on painted grass
Nothing ever needs pruned!
Father is by the driveway, lying down-
He has to, he'd fall down!

Open the house front -
Yes! the whole front swings open,
Making it much easier for me
To play.
I move mother to the bedroom to sleep-
Father is laid beside her, inert.
The two don't love- never love!
How come a baby in a cot ?

Close the door, dim the light
On that cosy miniature home of mine-
Built by my father's friend -
Gone now.
Given to others to enjoy.
Do they look in the window and wonder,
Move the figures with in their home?
I wish I had it still...


Thank you for reading , Kath