We were movie stars, but we didn’t know
Our small faces pressed up against the car window glass
We were the passerby’s show
Our car loaded down to capacity
children pressed in like sardines
venturing to the nearby city
Going into town with our mama was our
Roman Holiday
A rare occasion from the dusty roads
our routine for almost every day
We never understood the stares
and laughs we elicited from others
We thought it was because they were
amazed by our sweet mother
It was only later in my life when I figured out
It was not happy looks but pity,
as they checked us out on our trip to the city
My heart swells with pride when I reflect on the courage it took for my mother
To haul around so many of
my sisters and our ruckus-making brothers
To this day, when I see small faces pressed against the car windows
I longingly reflect on our trips with our dear mama
so many years ago
