(from a series called "The Only Time I Believed in God Was at Granma's House")

by L’Oréal Reneé Joyce Snell ’04

My sister say I’m going get a bike for my birthday so I act like I don’t know when Mama call me.
Mama say come home cause I was over San and them house and
Mama say she going tell me something and
I’m going get a bike
cause mama always say that
she promise.

Mama always say that and
when I get there Mama got a big cake and
Mama is smoking with Scotty and them and
my sister pull me over and say she seen a big box and
my sister pull me over and she happy and
we going share this bike and
we going be riding all the time and

Mama say bring y’all asses on cause she didn’t buy this Goddam cake for nothing and
we ain’t going be wasting her money and

everybody started putting money in my pocket for my birthday
everybody come and give me a hug and say hi.

And when they leave Mama put the money away so I can spend it later
she say she put in an envelope and pinned it to the wall and

I didn’t get no bike for my birthday that time and
I didn’t get no money either.

And years later my auntie Cissey bought me a bike that needed somebody to build it but
she say my Mama was being difficult so I have to wait and
I saw the bike in the box
lavender and white with a banana seat
screws to hard for me to put together
always promised by someone to.

“bike in box" reminds me that it's ok to be angry. I'm still a shining star…with a Schwinn.

– loro