One too many – A Poem by Snigdha Agrawal

One Christmas morn,
all went wrong
gifts lay unopened,
wraps still strong.
All because of
one unsettling call:
Gramps had to be rushed
to the emergency hall.

A bottle of rum, he had
downed too fast,
batter-fried peanuts
munched en masse.

The nurse had laughed,
the doctor had blinked,
both gently asked,
“Sir, what were you thinking?”
Gramps had replied,
“I was watching
basketball on TV,
raising a toast
for every goal achieved
bit too many.”

We had hurried home,
still slightly frazzled,
to find the dog
had half the parcels dismantled.
Christmas was resumed,
its cheer delayed
cold pudding, jokes,
and borrowed dread.

A tale we tell each year
with delight:
reliving Gramps plight.