The Birthday

We all gathered around as family and friends. We had bought the biggest cake we could find in her favorite flavor: white with chocolate frosting. We sang happy birthday, slow and steady. Each and every one of us avoided another's glances as the song neared the end. “...happy birthday to you...” The song was over and no one clapped. The cake was ready but no one yearned for a piece. The awkward silence hovered as the wind shook our coats and blew our hair. Her mother began to cry. It was then, as I stared down at a new grave – her grave – that I realized how incredibly messed up this was.

I really don't know what inspired me to write this poem. It just kind of clicked in my head to do something about a birthday and then the surprising end of the birthday girl being dead came to me. I really didn't have any challenge in writing this but I could tell from when I read it in class that everyone was shocked and didn't know what to say. I wanted the story to have a shocking end but I didn't want to freak people out too bad! Maybe my challenge now is make it still surprising but less traumatizing.