The first balloon burst
before everyone arrived.
Nobody admitted it.
One girl screamed.
Another
dropped their cup.
Orange juice
ran across the floor,
and half a dozen adults
performed an impromptu rescue
using napkins,
kitchen roll,
and somebody's sleeve.
Children's parties
begin with a schedule.
They end
with negotiations.
The timetable surrendered
almost immediately.
Musical chairs
became musical wandering.
Pass the Parcel
forgot whose turn it was.
The balloons,
never content
with simply floating,
became cudgels,
horses,
and improbable hats.
Someone hid beneath the table
guarding the crisps.
The loudest child
forgot to stop laughing.
The quiet ones
clapped just as hard.
Everyone got a prize,
whether they'd played or not.
Nobody cared
who came first.
The grown-ups
looked exhausted
before the candles
were even lit.
Not one of them
stopped smiling.
It was,
by every reasonable measure,
the perfect
birthday party.
The balloons
stayed up
for three days afterwards.
The nurses
handed us
a book of photographs.
We gave them chocolates.
They gave us memories.
We never returned.
6/25/2026
The Words That Got to Me
kitchen roll, * I love this UK term! Here, we refer to it as "paper towels." YAWN!! "Kitchen roll" is perky...though, at first, my mind went to things like "lobster roll" and "cinnamon roll," but I knew THAT context was wrong. (I'm not just pretty; I'm also SMART, don'tcha know...)
Suggestions / Possible Tweaks
dropped their cup. *I thought this was a clue about it being a trans birthday party or something. I guess I'm Old School, but this gave me pause, so I'm suggesting either "his," "her," or "a" cup since "another" is singular. and "their" is not.
Whoaaaaa. I certainly never saw THAT coming. And yet, it is so perfect. Mayhem and children's parties go hand-in-hand, and it matters not where, whose, or what other calamities are on the table. Deep eye-opening and wise, this puts everything into perspective. I love your knack for that every day. xoxo