In college
in the dorms
on my hall
there was a lot of foot traffic
going to the dining commons
or the parking lot
or the Photography Lab
or, I dunno, to see my slutty ex
one landing away.
Wherever they were going
I was positioned in just the right place
to distract them.

I tried.
God knows I tried
to make people stray from their plans.
I asked where they were going
or offered them a brownie lifted from the cafeteria
or just called out, “Wait! Don’t go.
Stay!”
That was my mantra.
That was my war cry.
That was my entreaty
to make my dorm
the social destination of the season
or at least a place
to while away a few minutes.

Not everyone got an invite
to loiter at my door
but that didn’t necessarily stop them
from stopping by.
If I was awake
I was entertaining
and I had open office hours for all.
Clearly, I didn’t get much done.

But I did meet many people
even as they were going to parties
on other halls
or heading towards bars off campus
or just on their way to class.
I would find them on path
and I would have some minutes with them.
My home was a wild party.