Shaking the Candy Tree

The girls jumping rope sang

I had a little bird.

Her name was Enza.

I opened the window

and influenza.

When my mother took sick

I wanted to crawl in bed with her,

but it wasn't aloud, don't you see.

Billy Sunday sang

Let's pray down this

epidemic of sin.

And there was fun in that for me,

until it became too painful.

The mailman brought the flu to our town.

Momma's fever rose so high

her hair turned white

and fell out.

I kid you not.

She opened her eyes,

and it was daylight.

She opened them again,

and it was night.

Better to do the wrong thing,

my father said,

than nothing.

When my mother died,

the shine went out of everything.

You know this epidemic,

though you have forgotten what to call it.

Jimmie's not here

is what my best friend's mom said. 

Where is he? I said.

Let your mother tell you, she said.

For the first time

and forever

I understood that we are not safe.

Nobody is safe.

You know what I mean,

but you don't remember its name.

Author Reading