Contest Tied Winner: The Reply, a poem

Contest prompt: Write a story or poem about what happens when someone stops giving the standard answer of 'fine' or 'okay' when asked questions like 'how are you?'


The Reply
(32 line)

When Ernestine came swishing by
In velvet gown, her hair piled high,
Her makeup thick as morning dew,
Deigned to smile, asked “How are you?”
Expecting me to say, “Just fine!”
As she walked on, aglow, divine,
You should have seen her startled look,
When ‘round her arm, just like a hook,
I wrapped my hand and stopped her cold.
“Old Ernie, dear, I’m good as gold!
My husband Henry, over there,
Has just become a millionaire!
But isn’t Fate a trickster though?
The way it gobbled up your dough,
In one big market-crashing gulp
As Wall Street hammered stocks to pulp?

"Both of my kids are doing great,
In fact, we have to celebrate --
Jill’s been accepted into Yale!
And Mike’s the warden of the jail
Where I understand your son
Is serving time -- a shame, that gun
Was found concealed in his coat
While in that bank, and with that note!
I heard your daughter’s quite the star
Dancing at that topless bar,
And raising three kids on her own,
Since their dear fathers are unknown.
Oh, Ernestine, I’m sad to say
That now I must be on my way.
Kiss-kiss, hug-hug, and much good cheer,
Are you okay? You look quite queer!"

. . . ~ .*. ~ .*. ~ .*. ~ .*. ~ .*. ~ . . .
Thanks for reading my poem. Won't you rate it, too?
A review would be really awesome -- and worth 200 gps!