Birthday Party

The family gatherings are always a blast.
Moments hastily wasted, rehashing the past.
Merry members stumble, lost by their shoes.
Cups toasted, spilling peach flavored booze.
Pale yellow puddles hide behind doors.
Murmurings cry from drunks asleep on the floor.

Bursting with cake, ice cream, candy and soda.
I am another year heftier, and another year older.
Choking on gray man made clouds.
From my aunts and uncles, I hear howls
as their dirty conversation turns foul.

I see a beautiful woman,
Smoking something, drinking rum and coke
Laughing at some silly racist’s dumb joke.
But somehow, I find her refined and balmy.
I turn to her; I say “mommy?”
She turns to me; she says, “Oh, honey.
Happy Birthday!”
I can tell right away, I am doomed- she is wired.
Still I beg,“ I want to go home, I am tired.”

“I am 'playing cards' dear, I will not take long"
this is how she replies,
but then quite by surprise,
She says "Come here, let me sing you a song”

So she lulls me to sleep.
And I swear to never forget

How she smells faintly of roses underneath cigarettes.
How her cheeks look like painted apples.
How her firmly puckered lips form one small red cherry.
Or how often her eyes look like blue and black berries.