Longing

If an average American party goes three hours,
And I have people start to leave at four, let alone five,
Or six, I really have no reason to complain.
It was a good party!

I realize, though, that if I have 28 people come to visit,
And I could legitimately spend an hour or seven
With each of them,
When they leave, I feel the loss of not fully connecting.
Times 28.

So maybe I need to figure out more about hospitality,
That a party is not a visit,
That perfect connection won’t happen this side of
Heaven.

But because being with my friends
Feels about the way I expect heaven will feel,
I want the joy to last more than six hours,
And I feel the loss when all leave.

So then it’s not so much about me and my need for quality time.
It’s about longing for deep connection,
And having it, and losing it,
And longing for more.