Today is Friday the 13th
a poem by Lex Friedman

Today is the thirteenth -- and Friday
Also known as "I-Hope-I-Don't-Die" Day
I suppose many folks won't know why they
Have such a fear of this wry day

My blog reaches all of the globe
So I'll don my Scholarly Robe
And teach your big frontal lobe
About why you're a paraskevidekatriaphobe.

(That's the word for those who have fear
Of each Friday 13 of the year...
Each of whom will be frightened to hear
There's another to come in months near.)

Friday has a bad reputation
It was then Eve gave into temptation
And when Jesus's life met cessation
And when Sol's temple met devasation.

So, Fridays are biblically cursed
It seems that those days are the worst
And since we've solved that problem first,
There's just one puzzle left to be nursed.

To wit: Why's the thirteenth unlucky?
Why is that number thought of as sucky?
From Maine to Rome to Kentucky
To face 13, you've gotta be plucky.

13 has a bad history
And the reason is not quite a mystery
But the reasons why are numerous and plentiful and relate to various religions having 12 stages of life or 12 gods and thus thinking that a thirteenth anything is somewhat unlucky, but this is rather hard to rhyme, particuarly with the word "history," so please try to go with me on this one

So, both "Friday" and "13" have a stigma
Which is now no longer an enigma
Since I've cleared it up while simultaneously painting myself into an all-too-familiar end-rhyme corner named Shmigma.