Playing House

by Skylar Rockmael

art by Addy Reid

Play Time

An hour on Sunday when it was 

Okay 

Encouraged 

To pretend

They were always sunny times 

Even when it 

Snowed 

Hailed

Rained

Until on a hot summer day

It got shaded 

The Sunday started off

Sunny 

Alas, I wanted a new pretend 

I was bored of being 

Mom who 

Cooks

Cleans 

Cries 

I wanted to be the mom who was 

Dirty 

Mighty 

Strong

I wanted to be a

BOSS

Not of the world 

Or the house 

But of the pretend family 

On this one Sunday morning 

Suddenly, I was on trial 

I was a lawyer 

Who had not finished the 

Second grade 

The judge was not much older 

And we shared many similarities 

Hair Color 

Eye shape 

Mother 

His qualifications were 

Finishing the second grade 

Within seconds 

The trail was over 

I was guilty of

To much imagining 

My punishment was far worse than I thought 

For I was restricted to playing 

The Dog 

I got up from the courtroom 

On that hot summer day 

But the warmth was gone 

For the judge had created 

Permanent 

Shade