‘I Ate a Chili Pepper’ Poem

Please cite all poem references: “Excerpt from ‘Suzie Bitner Was Afraid of the Drain’ by Barbara Vance.” Thank you!

I Ate a Chili Pepper

I ate a chili pepper
One a lunch-time dare;
Sandy said I’d burn my mouth,
But I didn’t care.

I ate that chili pepper—
Left not a seed to waste—
And won that truly silly bet,
But lost my sense of taste.

~ Barbara Vance

Excerpt from the poetry collection “Suzie Bitner Was Afraid of the Drain”