The singing of the birthday song
Started right after you came in.
And your presence invited others,
Though it’s not your celebration.
The twins, the celebrants
On their gray and identical dresses
Were excited to see you.
Earlier that day,
You scolded the celebrants
For making friends with others.
You were jealous, and you thought
They would have another favorite.
Yet, the smiles on their faces
Were like the smiles they had
On your play time.
On top of the table
Was a beautiful cake
That erected a few colorful candles,
And the words “Happy Birthday”
Were inscribed on it.
As the singing continued
The twins pulled you and asked
If you could blow the candles with them.
That was the first
and
the last time you shared
Birthdays with the twins.
Years later, you visited their new home
Way up north of the country.
The summer heat of the metropolitan
Was hurting your skin,
And the dust polluted your nose
There are no more birthdays to celebrate,
But rejoice to a reunion of old friends
Seeing each other after a long time.
You are glad seeing a box
On top of the table
Tied with a red ribbon.
The twins and you decide to remove the Tie that binds the box. And it reveals
A beautiful white cake
Without any inscriptions. There are no
Words to say, but a happy face to share.
You never really thought
That some things are meant to change,
And most would stay the same.
The red ribbon stretches through the Table, pointing you and the twins
Connecting you and the twins.
The uncertainty of what you thought
Was a forgotten friendship was changed.
You are happy then.
-Max Sacala-
