Telling Lies At The Family Reunion Poem by Kim Barney

My father was born on May 5,1907.

He passed away in 1993 at the age of 86.

A few years after that, I was at a family reunion
for descendants of his father, my grandfather.

A dozen or so of us were on the stage with
large cards showing the names of ancestors
that we were representing.

We were supposed to talk about that ancestor
so that others could get to know him or her
better.

I had been given a card with the name
of my father.

Standing next to me was my cousin Phyllis.
As we waited for our turns, I said to her:
"I don't know what to say about my dad."

She was a lovable soul with a free spirit
and a hint of mischief and she said:
"Oh, just make something up! "

So I did.
I said a few
things that were true
and then I said:

"Not too many people know this,
but when Dad was a young man,
he went to Mexico and was part
of the Mexican Revolution."

"He rode alongside Pancho Villa
and became such a war hero that they still
celebrate his birthday in Mexico today.
They call it Cinco de Mayo".

At this point my sister-in-law,
who is Hispanic, shouted out:
"That's a lie! "

I admitted that it was, but of course,
I blamed it on my dear cousin.