Quality Time

In my house we turn favors into currency
they pull strands through my hair into tight pretty braids
and I paint their nails shades of blue and green,
we take turns on the carpet in the yellow light of the tv 
I lean my head into their laps and they put their hands on my knees
to keep them steady as I work,
I ask for her thumb and she asks for the hair-ties on my wrist 
we leave decorated 
we come back to this place next week 
sit in the carpet and ask for favors 
again and again
so we don’t have to keep saying I love you

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Darah Schillinger​
is a senior at St. Mary's College of Maryland pursuing my degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. I have previously published poetry in my school literary journal, AVATAR, on the Spillwords Press website for their Haunted Holidays series (2020) and Christmas series (2021), and my first poetry chapbook will be released in July 2022 by Yellow Arrow Publishing. I currently live in Perry Hall, Maryland with my parents and my dog, and when I'm not writing poems I'm usually drinking tea.

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