whammy

"Big money, no whammies!"
the man in the television cheered
one lazy morning
home from school
and I
pressing my luck
against a bout of -itises
a nine year old bundle of blankets
on a couch
with a dog in my lap
and a mother in shouting range
in the exquisite uncomfortable comfort
that only a mild childhood
sick day can bring
drowsing as the Big Board
whirred and dinged
in a chaotic flash of light
upon my closed eyelids
and the smell of soup
wafting in from the kitchen
a promise of lunch on a tray
with the added hope
of a grilled cheese
to join it