This was a quick work on how I deal with not being able to go to an event

The mail was still in the box
Only since my mother had not gotten it
(Though mail is sometimes plural,
why do we label it as singular always?)
a pices was for me
from a poetry organization
though I wonder why they mailed me
was it because of a list I was on?
Something I once submitted
to a competition?
perhaps or one of my teachers...
I shook my head
reading the contents
not missing a beat
showing my mother who shook her head
in the same manner as I
I knew I recieved such letters before
but everytime we could never afford it
Twentieth aniversary
a chance to meet pultzer winner Snodgrass
Cards are dealt
Regretfully
I have no choice
Invitation declined.