Hey, Ma

Remember when ya forgot my birthday?

Well, how could ya?

They were zappin' ya brain like a moth to a flame,

riddin' ya of the worms that crawled there.

Well,

it was my birthday, and ya didn't quite know it.

Ya didn't even quite know your own age.

"You turning how old?"

It was funny cuz ya knew it just a week before, and the chances were slim that ya would forget at all.

Oh! And hey, Ma? Remember when ya forgot the entire English language for a night?

Well, how could ya?

Ya went into your chambers and screamed the lord's name

or at least I think ya did.

Ya wreathed in pain and cursed the devil out of ya, clenching The Holy word.

Ya remembered Spanish, Ma. Ya hollered what coulda been my name, or maybe the word for *****. There's no tellin'!

Ya always said the word for Dog was "Perro," but I think ya might have called Ol' Miss Daisey a ***** as well. The similarity in the two words is amazin'!

Well, anyway, Ma, ya were hootin' out about somethin', probably how the Devil and all of mankind had hurt ya, and Jolly Todd was the only one who could fix ya.

He hushed ya like a baby, like he were the Holy Father himself.

Ya sloped into sleep and didn't speak again.

I love ya, Ma, and I'm glad ya don't remember those times,

the ones where they were pokin' into ya like a sewer rat for science.

Maybe this year the Prince of Darkness will loosen the reigns,

release the bugs from ya head,

and maybe ya can remember the cake this time 'round!