The exotic appeal of sleepovers

She is seven and her desire
for sleepovers is endless,
a wanderlust that propels her
to the mystery
that is other people’s houses,
the quiet thrill
of being away from home
in a strange bed,
being able to wander
like a thief,
pocketing observations
of odd intimacies,
another mother’s electric toothbrush,
an ice dispenser in their fridge,
a hamster,
enormous glasses of juice.
Like a good adventurer,
she is open-minded,
willing to accept any invite,
a faith that wherever she lands
will be curious enough
to be worth it.