Inside my lunch
to my surprise
a perfect heart-shaped
love note lies.

The outside says,
"Will you be mine?"
and, "Will you be
my valentine?"

I take it out
and wonder who
would want to tell me
"I love you."

Perhaps a girl
who's much too shy
to hand it to me
eye to eye.

Or maybe it
was sweetly penned
in private by
a secret friend

Who found my lunchbox
sitting by
and slid the note in
on the sly.

Oh, I'd be thrilled
if it were Jo,
the cute one in
the second row.

Or could it be
from Jennifer?
Has she found out
I'm sweet on her?

My mind's abuzz,
my shoulders tense.
I need no more
of this suspense.

My stomach lurching
in my throat,
I open up
my little note.

Then wham! as if
it were a bomb,
inside it reads,
"I love you—Mom."