The Valentine

I knew Jane stole a valentine

to me from Douglas Ryan,

and when I asked her for it back,

that’s when she started lyin’.

She said, “I never touched that thing.

Why would you think I had?”

I knew that she was lying,

so I started getting mad!

“I know you did. You needn’t lie.”

(Her theft I hadn’t seen.)

“The reason that you took that card

is cause you’re jealous green.”

“You’re nuts,” she said, “you’re really nuts!”

while tears rolled down her cheeks,

so then I said, “Doug likes me best,

and you’ve loved him for weeks.”

The kids all took sides, one by one;

soon everyone was mad.

It was the world’s worst day of love

the world has ever had.

So when I got home with my stack

of valentines and stuff,

my mother took one look at me

and knew my day’d been rough.

Still mad about the missing card,

I slumped down in a chair,

and had a little crying jag

beneath my mother’s stare.

She crouched beside me as I cried

and then gave me a hug,

while picking up a valentine,

she softly said, “Who’s Doug?”