random etchings

worst present ever

A long time ago, when I was just seven
I planned for a wonderful date
I counted my friends, then reduced to eleven
and told them I was turning eight.

“So, come to my party, my mama has planned
all kinds of fun things to do,”
and when they agreed, why I thought it was grand . . .
if only, if only I knew.

You see, Mrs. Sitar's second grade class
was cursed with a terrible thing.
It started with Billy, then Sarah alas,
then Mike C and Omar and Ping,

then Hannah and Micah, then Helen and Sven,
Mike D. and Amy and Scout,
by my day, the class was reduced to just ten
chicken pox took the rest of them out.

On the day of my birthday, I woke up instead
with a tummy of terrible rash,
at one look my Mama sent me back to bed
and canceled my party, alas.

Instead of friends I had fever and itchy red dots
and socks covering both of my hands,
so I wouldn't scratch any troublesome spots . . .
chicken pox had disrupted my plans.

And just ten days later, on sister's birthday,
Sister awoke feeling blue,
because, like a good girl, I'd shared as we played,
And sister had chicken pox, too.

line count: 28
Prompt: Day Two: WORST PRESENT EVER