Triskaidekaphobia

Triskaidekaphobia


Say “triskaidekaphobia.”
Now that will trip your tongue!
It’s the fear of number thirteen
we’re taught since we were young.

Of course, I’ve heard the old stories
of Judas’s descent
but was it really his failure
or simply God’s intent?

How can we blame this poor number
for what’s long in the past?
Instead we should be focused on
the goodness it’s amassed.

America was built upon
the thirteen colonies;
the Indians don’t share that view –
it was their land we seized.

And where would rugby be (What’s that?)
without thirteen on a side?
Why, just another gang of guys
chasing a dead pig’s hide.

Where would Jason¹ be today
if not for dear thirteen?
Friday the Tenth just doesn’t work
for any horror scene.

I’ve saved the best, of course, for last:
for those that love to eat –
a Baker’s dozen contains twelve
plus one more. Now, that’s sweet!

An entry for the January round of "Invalid Item" 
Prompt: Must feature the number 13 in some way.
Form: ABCB rhyme in common meter (8/6/8/6)

¹Jason - Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of movies.