We Interrupt These Emergencies...

(a sort-of poem, of definite love)

Happy Birthday - More Or Less

And so another birthday has rolled around
For the one who chose me
22 birthdays ago (more or less)
And hasn't aged a year since
In my eyes at least, if not on the calendar

The gala started off well, at least
With a nice dinner out Sunday night
We returned in good spirits (more or less)
Only to find our basement under two inches of water
But hey, it could have been worse.

Woke up on Monday, the "bo bayom"
The B-day you share with Charlie Chaplin,
Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Dusty Springfield, Wilbur Wright
And other celebs (more or less)
Who you outdo, in your own quiet way, daily

Headlines that morning read (more or less):
"Storm of the Century!"
"Governor Declares State of Emergency"
"In honor of my birthday", you wryly noted
"Yeah, that's about right!"

Your not-exactly festive plan for the day
Take your mom for long overdo tests
And not the kind she could study for, either.
Unfortunately, she got a "D+" (more or less)
Valve surgery needed, as soon as possible!

At least she kept her sense of irony
Recalling that the two of you spent yesterday
Together again in the very same hospital
Where you both were for your birth!
About 22 years ago (more or less) that day

Meanwhile, while we raged and reeled
From our own personal "trials and tribs"
To use one of your favorite expressions
Horrific mass murder on the news
Guess we should feel lucky after all (more or less)

And so, though there's not much I can say
To restore yesterday's missing birthday cheer
And even this pre-dated blog poem
Was posted a day late (more or less)
And as always, we're way over a dollar short

But as a much better poet than I once said
"Even though we ain't got money
I'm so in love with you honey".
You have my heart forever
And there's nothing "more or less" about that!