One Of Those Birthdays Poem by RIC BASTASA

i found finally the photograph of us,
five children
three sisters and two brothers
different faces, mine is an aquiline nose,
the first has white skin, and the second is the
dark brown cookie,
and the third has a long straight hair
square jawed,
i always felt that i am
out of place, barefoot
and skinny,
and silent despite her pinches
on my side
i am not misbehaving
in this photograph
except the youngest brother
who compromised
with a pose
two minutes and then ran away
not wanting to be
a part of anybody else's
advices
good or otherwise.

i guess it was Friday,
January 29,1976, and if i am not wrong
it was one of those
birthdays

mine.