Poem Response 21

Sick

by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

"I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I'm going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as big as rocks,

I've counted sixteen chicken pox

And there's one more--that's seventeen,

And don't you think my face looks green?

My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--

It might be instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I'm sure that my left leg is broke--

My hip hurts when I move my chin,

My belly button's caving in,

My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,

My 'pendix pains each time it rains.

My nose is cold, my toes are numb.

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,

I hardly whisper when I speak.

My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.

My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There is a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?

What's that? What's that you say?

You say today is. . .Saturday?

G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

Found at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16480

Have you ever felt like saying some of these things? I certainly have. Frequently. Suddenly school comes around, and you find that you might be a little more aware of that ache in your shoulder, or that runny nose… Sometimes you almost wish you had a terrible case of the flu, so you could just lie in bed and drift back into dream world…

Or at least, I do anyway.

I really like my bed. We’re friends.

Best.

Friends.

Except he is a really bad influence on me, and takes away my drive to do anything productive. Which is really my fault, since my  drive to do stuff can’t be THAT big if waking up is all it takes for the desire to be gone…

********************************************************************************