Colon Apostrophe Closing-bracket

the group chats and the group spats

the meet-ups and the chill-outs

the parties and the sleeping over

stick and poke tattoos and eyebrow slits

this is what makes us friends

this is what makes us feel

and to me they are more than my friends

more than life-long companions

more than split-your-lips-smiling memories, on crappy, shabby days

more than melt-downs followed by laughs and easy proclamations of love

no psychologist can tell me ‘they aren’t your family’

no peers can tell me ‘they aren’t your family’

no laws and no DNA can tell me, ‘they aren’t your family’

no teachers, no authorities, no blood-relatives, can tell me, that ‘they are not your family’

because they are my family

my friends are my family

and i love my family

and i’m allowed to use that word

because it’s not a taboo

and i know it’s special

but this just shows you

my friends are my family.