transient

afraid of unlikely situations

she grabs a bottle

not noticing her baby sister's

wary eyes

* * *

she's afraid her sister

might become her mother

and not notice

like the drizzling before the storm

* * *

that she'll stumble and fall

when she needs her most

and that she'll puke

all over her homework

not that it ever happened

before

* * *

but she puts back the bottle

after taking a sip

winking, before saying

“being drunk doesn't look good on me”