Birthday Honors

My natal day was yesterday;
And so I said to Fate,
"What gifts bring you, by one, by two,
To ease my parlous state?"
"I proffer blindly," Fate replied,
From chance-found joys and ills.
For you, the 'flu; and this beside,
A sheaf of monthly bills."

My natal day was yesterday;
And so I said to Chance,
"What gifts bring you, by one, by two,
My fortunes to enhance?"
Said Chance, "I bring no obvious thing.
Unguessed escape bring I
From dangers rife alway in life
That closely pass you by."

My natal day was yesterday;
And so I said to Life,
"What gifts bring you, by one, by two,
To salve me in the strife?"
But Life said, "Nought. Long since I brought
My gifts, glum misanthrope;
And these for you I here renew;
Myself and human hope."