“My Old Iron Rabbit”

Art and son Mike Mapes with a special copy of this poem -- and the toy that inspired it

My old iron rabbit
Still stands on the shelf,
A toy of my boyhood
I’ve kept for myself.

Just an old iron rabbit,
An old fashioned toy,
I found in my stocking
When I was a boy.

He came on a Christmas
Long, long, ago
When winter was weaving
White magic with snow.

He has long iron ears,
And a slot in his back
Where I saved up my pennies
To buy crackerjack.

The children all love him,
He adds to their glee
At Christmas they put him
Down under the tree.

His value, somehow,
Has grown beyond measure.
The passing of time
Has made him a treasure.

Since I was a boy
I’ve made it a habit
To love and to cherish,
My old iron rabbit.

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