The Party Guest

THE PARTY GUEST On a cold December night In a moody light and sweet In a blizzard blinding white O’Leary rambled down the street Cheery to be out with friends Whistling songs’ forgotten ends Joy of Christmas weeks to come Crashing parties with gin rum On his way to Brother Ned’s Stumbled into Neighbor Fred’s Mennorah lights bid him indoors Saw people bustling in their chores Hazy from a street of punch He helped himself to plates of lunch Woke up from a boozy snooze Cried “Who invited all these Jews?” Based on my room mate family's lore about a guy who wandered into a Chanukah party