13
but the housekeeper catches me
dancing alone in my walk-in closet,
a heap of dresses around me
as i “pack” for college,
whistling the song we hollered to the night before
be careful with those dresses, tate,
she warns me
you don’t want to slip
she raises her eyebrows like she did
when i was nine,
sneaking food from catering trays before a party
or twelve,
tiptoeing into the wine cellar for a taste of pinot noir
or fifteen,
huddled up on the roof
on my one and only summer break here
overcome with a heaviness i couldn’t describe
i know that she has my best interests at heart,
but what is there to be careful about?