As party host details the day and time

Wife breaks in, correcting him

He sheepish stands corrected

Repeats precisely what she has said

Then she breaks briskly in again

And starts describing something detailed

about what items must be brought

to their street party —

but then breaks off herself

tells me the written invitation

will be pushed into my mail slot

and will instruct me in all the ways

this mode of celebration

is meant to be observed

For many people

eighteen lonely covid months

is their amazing horror-story timeline

The agony of all those solitary days and nights

since last fun-frolic gathering

last exchange of carefree hugs

last double dip of taco chips

last abandoned dance in moistly touching group

all that much-mourned loss

repeatedly explored in each strand of the media

Of course it's not a competition, and yet

solitude's a different thing for me — years, not months

and also not the well-known covid-era 'solitude'

of being sad to be alone together —

other losses make pandemic deprivations

seem by contrast not so dire, almost small, sometimes. . .

But these street partiers will not know all that

and I, of course, won't tell

The multivalent freakishness

of doing this at all —

well, thinking, maybe, possibly, of doing it

of going out! to a real party! announced as such

and not faux jollity, live music at a vaccine venue

no, a peopled party just for party's sake —

weird notion of new me going out, doing such a thing

must stay well hidden deep inside my skin

heart-stopping, self-improving future threat

known just to me

The written invitation doesn't come

as four pre-party days flow past

And weather proves quite changeable

with gusty gales then heavy rains

then sudden blasts of sunny humid heat

then errant showers with strange chill

all contradicting forecasts day by day

So maybe partying just won't occur?

But just in case, to be prepared

in case the sun shines and the party happens

in case I grow a spine and force myself to go

I walk through rain, and buy some chips, some wine.

Crazy anxious on the day itself

at last I find a compromise scenario

Scurry out in opposite direction

some time before they said that they would start

but plan to stroll the other way, pass through their frontage

on my way back, discreetly check if party mode is evident

And if so, how? since no instructions ever came

as to required elements for this proposed street partying

And also, see if verbal invitation gets repeated

when walking down the sidewalk, scanning

past the designated mid-street party space

***

conclusion (part 3) of "Party hearty" follows