Next Friday

It’s Monday or Tuesday; I’m making a date
By email, by phone or by text
And Friday’s the day that I want to relate
So my spouse says, “Which one?” I say NEXT.

But next Friday, to him, is a few days away
And that isn’t the one that I meant,
For that one is THIS Friday and, to his dismay,
My annoyance is quite evident.

See, in Brooklyn, our THISSES and NEXTS we all knew
With no reason to thus clarify.
If I said, “Meet next Friday,” I understood you
Would just nod or say yes in reply.

Since it seems that not everyone has this in hand
I will spell it the best I know how.
THIS implies that the date coming up, understand,
Is the one in the same week as now.

But when you’re talking NEXT, check your calendar page.
I assure you the date you will find
Is the one after THIS one has been center stage
And the week has left mem'ries behind.

I don’t get the confusion; it’s simple as pie
Though my husband thinks I’m off my gourd.
Still, at least in New York, I can kind of see why
THIS and NEXT is a double-edged sword.