‘Playing Pretend’

Paxton Hilgendorff is an environmental and contemporary studio artist who recently graduated from Colgate University, focusing on sculpture and photography. Based in Hamilton, New York, his work focuses on the intersections of the natural and artificial worlds, utilizing found objects and abandoned locations in the local and surrounding community. Inspired by growth and decay, Paxton's work aims to question the ability of humans to live within nature, as well as their ability to imitate the natural forms of the world.

Playing Pretend

I remember you

while folding t-shirts,

sleeves to the back

pattern in front.

Before laying them to rest

on a pile just high enough

it doesn't topple.

It makes me think

of that day we did chores

at your parents’ place.

How comforting I found

our wordless, synchronized actions

as the soft, unimportant voices 

from your playlist

sung in the back.

At the time,

the proximity

of our bodies

was enough.

And we were happy

to spend our hours

pretending to be grownups.

Shaira Sultana is a Canadian writer from Scarborough who was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her writing typically explores topics of heartbreak, love, family, and belonging. She has one published poem within Tint Journal’s Fall ‘25 Issue, titled “I’m from Elsewhere.” Aside from writing, her hobbies include befriending cats, crocheting, and escaping into the vast and wonderful world of books whenever she can.