Glad Tidings

I wanted to say I’m doing ok

and everything’s good

but there’s no sense in that,

so I’ll just tell you ’bout

Lizzie’s birthday party the other day.

She wore the pink dress that you got her

the one with the giraffe with the goggly eyes,

Sarah tied yellow balloons to the picnic table out front

and Pete brought over a chocolate cake

with chocolate frosting and four pink candles–

did you ever feel lucky even when things were pretty bad?

The Grocery Outlet had strawberry ice cream on sale,

the fancy kind in little gold cups. When I brought

those out, I swear, her smile, it was Christmastime.

Uncle Bobby sang Happy Birthday like Elvis Presley

swinging his hips with that little snarl

which scared Lizzie a little bit, so we all rushed

to blow out the candles. It happened so fast

no one asked her to make a wish.

I was glad for that.