Worms

One day my little brother Chris asked our mom for a bendy straw,
He liked the way the way it bent towards him until I told him of a flaw.

My other two brothers backed me up in no uncertain terms,
When I told Chris that if you used a straw you’d contract a case of worms.

“The worms,” I said, “would travel up the straw when you took your sips,
The manufacturers hid them inside as a joke to get them past your lips.”

With that, three of the brothers solemnly set their bendy straws aside,
Then we all turned and looked at Chris and the meaning was implied.

Chris took his straw out of his milk and looked through it like a telescope,
To be confident that his straw was free of worms I’m sure was his hope.

“You can’t see them,” I said to Chris, “they probably jumped into your milk,
And you’ll never feel them when you swallow because they’re smooth as silk.”

From that day on the use of straws became banished by brotherly law,
And even today none of the four of us will ever drink with a straw.

If you’re born third of four in a family of all boys I wish you a lot of luck,
Because sometimes the pranks last for years and it sucks that you can’t suck.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2011

Poem

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Ekpemandu Avatar
October 12, 2011 at 3:08 PM
you cracked me open Tony...nice poem
Kearley Avatar
October 11, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Very funny Tony!!!Great job!
Brown Avatar
October 11, 2011 at 10:53 AM
Congratulations on your poetry placing in Nancy's contest Tony. Love, Carol
Johnson Avatar
October 11, 2011 at 7:30 AM
Worms will tickle just a bit, cantering down ya tongue, think of all the sneezing if they get into ya lung, sometime...WELL DONE MATE....
Sweetheart Avatar
October 10, 2011 at 10:36 PM
Congrats Tony on a magnificent win with this outstanding entry luv.. surely enjoyable and well crafted for this contest luv..
Jones Avatar
October 10, 2011 at 9:32 PM
Man, if your bros and my sisses ever got together, bet it'd be one helluva laughfest! Dig it Tony, thanks and preesh and Namaste~N
Kendrick Avatar
October 3, 2011 at 7:47 PM
Excellent story..Enjoyed reading your tale..Good luck in the contest..Your work reads a winners' circle poem to me..Thanks for stopping by, reading, and commenting on my work..Sara
Johnson Avatar
October 3, 2011 at 6:00 PM
Great verse mate, watch out for the wormalunas, they'll canter up the straw the sooner, orright...
Gorelick Avatar
October 3, 2011 at 5:45 PM
How funny.. From now on.I will think of this every time I see a straw..I hope this is for the contest cause I think it will be a winner. BG
Ball Avatar
October 3, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Chris this is so typical of kids pranking their siblings no matter boy or girl we all do it. Funny the things you remember from your childhood. Good write here. Loved it. God Bless, JB
Horne Avatar
October 3, 2011 at 3:47 PM
LOL, witty piece, my friend
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