little Bobby had the mumps

there was a kid,

Bobby Bates,

in the seventh grade that i used

to write

excuses for 

when he missed

days of school.

skipping, as many kids did

to go drink

beer and choke

on cigarettes

at the local park.

he told his leather jacket

friends about

my skills

and before long

business boomed.

i wrote doctor's notes,

notes from

his parents,

his aunt,

his uncle.

bobby had the measles,

bobby had to go

to a funeral,

bobby's dog died, etc.

i had wonderful cursive

handwriting learned in

Catholic school

which made me quite

popular

in homeroom.

i charged ten cents per

excuse.

all handwritten with

perfect punctuation

and spelling.

by my senior year i was

driving a brand new

ford mustang,

red 

with white leather interior.