LAKE HOUSE

Smith College

We eat Lifesavers all summer. My brother and I count the goats on the island across the river. My father cuts the grass in the morning. He gives us money for ice cream. I rub my brother’s shaved head with my hands. I remind my brother to wear sunscreen. And he forgets. My father is fishing. We eat inside our white hammock. Hung between half-buried oars. My father uses large ice cubes. We hide behind loud doors. We name the stray cat Dick Cheney. Condiment packets in the freezer. My father catches a catfish over four hours. My father catches a catfish in the dark. My brother finds it in the morning, flopping on the grass. When I throw the creature into the water, it floats. We count five goats. We suck tadpoles into our water guns. Vanilla and chocolate melt into our hands. We play one game of Go Fish. And no one wins.