Birthday Honours

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."