The stick of my grandfather’s deodorant that’s been in my closet since 2002

You still smells the way you did then

Stuffed in a draw put away
Forgotten

Darkness kept the hunter green and silver from mellowing
when the four of us relocated

The white walls and furniture
no variety in a never ending color

The smell of chep cleaner lingered
It was once your house
I rescued you from a trash can when we finally moved

You were a secret grandma and I kept
for over ten years
Only we knew that you hid
in the empty guest bathroom drawer

I knew exactly what you were

In a way your a stand in for my grandfather

Did you know that you ran away and got married to your high school sweetheart
And you ran one of the best home remodeling companies Houston, Texas had ever seen.

As an infant I have been told stories that I would only speak gibberish to you

No one in this world can ever call me Lizzy but you
Betty never did remarry
She didn’t even date

Until then
You’re in my closet
Kept hidden until I forget
Or leave


James Bowie High School

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