FAMILY ON PAPER By Annsofi Hjärtström

Got a letter from the authorities

On a paper
In black and white
It was written;
”As a relative of this person…”

Relative?
Are we related?
Family?

On a paper
In black and white
In words
Yes – We are

But we were not
When I was a child and needed you
We were not
When I was a child and should have felt loved by you
We were not
When I was a teenager and imploded of pain and shame

But on a paper
In black and white
In words
Yes – We are

Related

Family

Parent and child