Joseph Rios
Somebody’s Little Brother’s Birthday
For Sara Borjas
There’s a Chicanx child of Rocio Durcal
crooning under the light of a PD helicopter
and they’ve got the whole hood singing and weeping
to the song. Meanwhile, my tio is already drunk
and telling my cousins how much he loves them and
they’re all hugging and crying like it’s the first
and last time anyone had a birthday and pitches in
on a bounce house that is also a water slide
and my cousin’s ex boyfriend from down the street
who still gets invited to family kickbacks is texting
her how much this song reminds him of her and maybe
they could give it another shot cuz it kinda seems like
they were meant to be together and he don’t know
she’s been steady seeing her best friend who is
the homegirl tearing it up right now, hella singing,
the kinda singing that has my widowed tia
hollering like she’s tryna come out of retirement
to snatch up a young buck and claim ’em on her taxes.
And there’s Grandpa is in his wheelchair on the back lawn
with a blanket over his lap carrying a dirty paper plate
with a plastic fork and a crushed napkin talkenbout,
he’s so happy when all his family gets together.
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