My grandmother performed a one-man show
she played the role of father, mother and spiritual confidant

God stood on standby just in case grandma couldn’t give the role of father justice
But she must have done okay because no matter how many times I asked, he never stepped in

I used to wonder if it was by choice
or if he secretly wished my grandmother would break a leg so he’d get a second chance
I wondered if he saw me as a second shot of sorts
As if Adam and Eve had it hard like all first borns
and I played the roll of the delinquent
The sibling with so many passes I could die go to heaven, come back and go to hell just to see,
and come back again

That’s how it happened in the movie that played on the ceiling I stared at as a child
But in real life there was only one credit
My grandmother showed up in every role like a malfunctioned movie reel playing the same cell over and over again

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About The Author:
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Eric Robinson, Jr. is a student in the BA program at Antioch University. Eric’s influences include, but are not limited to, the 80’s crack epidemic, rap music and being raised in a fundamentalist Christian organization.