Haley and her nanny, Grace,
were shopping at the mall,
when Haley spied her on the shelf—
A Raggedy Ann doll.

But this doll looked much different
from those Haley had at home.
Instead of porcelain and paint,
this Ann was made of foam.

And rather than the red yarn hair
and Haley’s eyes of blue,
this Raggedy Ann’s hair was coarse--
coal black, and braided, too.

Her skin was dark, her eyes deep fudge,
her cotton apron white.
But when the child stopped by to look,
her nanny took a fright.

She stared into the child’s blue eyes,
the freckles on her nose.
She wondered how she could explain
the dolly Haley chose.

“Now Honey, that toy’s not for you,”
Grace managed to choke out.
“But tell me why? I want this doll,”
the girl could only pout.

“You’d rather have a friend, I’m sure
who looks like you or me.”
The nanny took her by the hand,
but Haley didn’t see.

“We’ve been to every toy store here,”
the little girl began,
“and there’s no doll that I could love
more than this Raggy Ann.”

So with a discontented shrug,
Grace nodded to the clerk.
She couldn’t believe her young blonde charge
was such a piece of work.

For how could she begin to tell
young Haley’s mom and dad
about their mission to find a doll...
then show the one they had?

But Haley took the soft brown doll,
and hugged her to her chest.
She looked both high and low and found
the friend whom she loved best.

This Ann would be her playmate,
no more perfect friend she'd find,
while gently reinforcing
that love is color-blind.