Please, Mary, Think of Me!
In a beautiful, tender moment of childhood friendship, Anne Frank wrote a poem for her school friend, Mary Bos, in a friendship book on March 5, 1938. The poem, penned when Anne was still a very young girl, is a stunning testament to her early writing talent and her deep, almost prophetic, desire to be remembered.
The poem is a direct address to Mary’s future self:
“Later when you read this book A long time from today, And think about your friends from school Though you are old and grey.”
Anne imagined a distant time when her friend would be reminiscing about her youth. Her hope was simple yet profound: that when Mary’s school friends appeared “one by one” in her memory, she would take a moment to pause.
The poem concludes with a heartfelt plea that now carries immense weight: “Please, Mary, think of me!”
This simple poem is a deeply poignant reflection of Anne’s soul. It shows her as a girl who valued connection and was keenly aware of the passage of time. The poem, written long before the war forced her into hiding, perfectly captures the yearning that would define her diary: the desperate, human need to not be forgotten. It is a beautiful, fragile piece of writing that ensures that Mary Bos—and the rest of the world—will never stop thinking of Anne Frank.