Life of the Party
A loud party, ten feet to your left,
through your wall. Stock-still cars
quadruple-parked, overflowing
the driveway, spilling into the street.
The host has his guitar out, they
are singing, they all know the song,
even you’ve heard it. The floor
roils with bass, grabs your feet.
They’ve got a gong over there,
it bellows like a grandfather clock
at 2:00 AM, twice. A drum set
and a drummer from a band
and in all 14,400 square inches
of that place, which you know
because it’s the same as yours,
people. Sitting on the floor
and piled onto chairs and sofas
and leaning against the fridge
in the kitchen, on the edge
of the bed on top of the coats.
It is officially the best party
in the world, in the galaxy,
there has never been another
party during which the guests
loved the host more, or wanted
so much to exist together.
This is it, it is happening now,
this is the party that every party
dreams of becoming when it grows up,
you can live alone in an empty field
and even then you will hear the party,
its life charging on without you.
Awww, I have a birthday party coming up and it's going to be 'the mother'(got that from a recent autocratic ruler) of all parties, you're invited. I hate it when people party without me let alone if life goes on without me.
ReplyDeleteWhere: Do you know where Notre Dame University is located? Well, it's not there, just wondering if you knew where ND was located (snicker! got ya)
Anyway, great rendition of a party I was once not invited to when I was in college.
Love the way you gradually increase the statistics, until you hit my favourite line: "This is the party that every party / dreams of becoming when it grows up". Terrific work!
ReplyDeleteThis has the best rhythm!!! It feels so young and frenetic, like the inside of a teenage girl's head. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll do a video with this one. Wonderful poem!
ReplyDeleteYou've captured the essence of an over-the-top party! That image really cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteI love how the noise and activity is exactly balanced by a huge sense of loneliness and, somehow, silence at the end.
ReplyDeleteThen I looked at image. Wow!!
Ha ha ha..you had me laughing when you said that is was officially the best party in the world... xox
ReplyDelete