Four daughters, a son and a grandson;
Your dear girlfriend since childhood;
Your daughter-in-law and her mother;
Your daughter’s good friend and me:
We are all together to celebrate you
Making a party in your honor.
You bring us all together.
That’s the main thing, being there for you.
Wilma had to work but got off early
Making a happy surprise when she arrives.
Dondre and Deon shop and cook all day
Having a good time as mother and son.
Michelle shows the video I made of you
Telling your black cake recipe to her and Sharon
Delighted to see that it has 2700 views
That makes her mom a kind of famous person.
We are all proud of you for what you accomplished
Against great odds as an immigrant here
Remembering your years of struggle and sacrifice
Raising a family every child grown into a good person.
You worked hard. You
made an honest living.
You are still the strength at the center of the family.
Today you are the birthday girl in a special pink dress
Still a good looking woman with goodness in your heart.
Neville and Roseanne are admiring the photo of you and Deon
That I took of you two working together in your kitchen
Bandannas on your heads like the bandanna on his head.
You stay relaxed not minding as I snap pictures to show your
love.
Smiling Eleanor tells us of your childhood years together in
Barbados.
Josephine dances in her special way.
Dondre lights 24 candles and directs the cake cutting.
Neville listens closely as you read each card again.
But tonight to my dismay I forgot to bring my camera.
The best I can do is cell phone pictures in the dim
light.
I make a video of the cake and candles and Rhonda’s toast:
Here’s to 76 years and many more to come!
