Sucker.

Well I'm sick again. I had just said to someone I thought my immune system was doing really well warding off all the germs and then, boom, cold chills and aches. Naturally, I debated staying home this morning and then after I finally called in, I fell back asleep for almost three hours... and then woke up, ate, and took another two hour nap. Clearly my body wants rest... and yet why do we teachers always feel GUILTY (a word my mother and grandmother have drilled into me well) when we call in sick?

In honor of my illness, which I'm convinced was brought on by me being a sucker for a hug, even if the child giving it has a runny nose and is literally coughing in my face, here's one of my all time favorite poems.  Now for nap number three.

SICK

by Shel Silverstein

I cannot go to school today,”

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

“I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash, and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I’m going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as big as rocks,

I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox,

And there’s one more – - that’s seventeen,

And don’t you think my face looks green?

My leg is cut, my eyes are blue –

It might be instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I’m sure that my left leg is broke –

My hip hurts when I move my chin,

My belly button’s caving in,

My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,

My ‘pendix pains each time it rains.

My nose I cold, my toes are numb,

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,

I hardly whisper when I speak.

My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.

My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There is a hole inside my ear.

I have hangnail, and my heart is – what?

What’s that? What’s that you say?

You say today is … Saturday?

G’bye, I’m going out to play.