Atlas Dwyer / 11
Baking things for my family
that I know I won’t eat
but that they all love
Tapping my fingers on the table
and feeling the vibrations that come
as my dad taps the same rhythm back
My friends waiting for me
to catch up with them
before they start talking again
Pressing the top of my head
to shoulders and skulls
as everything feels quiet for once
My best friend sitting on a call
listening to me talk
about my favorite podcast
Scooping up my cat
when he walks up to me
as he purrs like a hurricane
Listening with interest
as my sister explains the plot
of whatever anime she’s watching
Singing my dad’s favorite music
taking the higher harmony so that he
doesn’t feel bad about his voice
Telling puns back and forth
each cornier than the last
until we’re both wheezing for breath
My friends gifting me rocks
and trinkets and shinies
because they were reminded of me
Talking about things no one has heard of
doing things no one understands
yet knowing that you are loved regardless
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