You can always count on family
To put you in your proper place.

Ever since the day I discovered my hidden talent, my ego has been growing quite impressively. Oh yes, my imagination has been in ecstasy - "Famous poet", "Tormented soul", are just a few of the coveted titles I've bestowed upon myself of late. Given another week of this guilty pleasure, I'm convinced I would have added "Poet laureate." But those delusions died a quick and brutal death at the hands of - you guessed it - my family.

This is how the tragedy unfolded:

They asked me to help write a yearbook ad. At first, we goofed around a little, with disastrous results, and then I thought - maybe now would be a good time to whip out my new-found talent. I contemplated the matter a few minutes and decided that indeed, I was ready. So I went off to be alone and came back just a few moments later with my masterpiece, written in my 'signature style'. I bestowed it upon the lucky recipient, who read it over, made a face I regret remembering, and asked:

"What is this?"
"A poem" I said,
Taken aback
By the question.
"That's a poem? Two words on each line?" Is that better? Twerp.

Then, Twerp Junior took the paper out of Twerp's hand, read it, crunched up her nose, and in her squeaky voice said:

"How could it be a poem
If it doesn't even rhyme?"
Ya think ya know'em
But they surprise you every time.

So I figured, they're just little twerps, what do they know? I snatched up the paper, and took it to Twerp Senior. She read it over, and asked, "So,

Each first letter of
Every line,
Does
It spell
Out some
Thing?"

I felt like calling her an - you know what I felt like calling her ;). Well, at that moment, an old, familiar feeling suddenly came over me. Ahh...yes, the feeling of being in my proper place - but this time, I think I'm here to stay.