Old Poem by Katha Pollitt

No one left to call me Penelope,
mourned the old countess, on being informed of the death
of her last childhood friend. Did she sit long

in the drafty hall, thinking, That's it then,
nobody left but hangers-on and flunkeys,
why go on? Death can't help but look friendly
when all your friends live there, while more and more

each day's like a smoky party
where the music hurts and strangers insist that they know you
till you blink and smile and fade into the wall
and stare at your drink and take a book off the shelf

and close your eyes for a minute and suddenly
everyone you came in with has gone
and people are doing strange things in the corners.
No wonder you look at your watch

and say to no one in particular
If you don't mind, I think I'll go home now.