POETRY

Who Said Life Was Fair?

It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to

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I had big plans today
Not change-the-world big
but a modest finally-assemble-that-chair big
I had the cloth seat
the instructions
even the mood.
But the rods to hold the cloth in place?
gone —
like socks in the dryer
or common sense on a Monday
probably starting a band somewhere
called Lost and Misplaced.

Fine, I said.
I pivoted, like a professional.
I’ll make coffee.
Grabbed the milk.
Guess what?
It slipped,
slid from my hand
in a moment of drama worthy of an Oscar —
and suddenly, the earth wore milk
like Diana Ross’s train at the 2025 Met Gala
Goodbye, clean floor.
Hello, dairy puddle.

Okay, okay. Deep breath.
I’ll do the dishes, I thought;
I’ll just rinse my favorite mug,
the one with the…