Almost stayed home Long week Shoes were off Then my neighbor texts "Food's ready Come outside" Annoyingly Difficult to argue with So Shoes back on Walk down the block Music already loud Smoke off the grill Kids running through Every conversation Somebody's auntie Has assumed command Of everything I know maybe Six people here Six people That's enough Guy at the table says, "You eat chicken?" "Yeah" Hands me a plate No application No interview Just "You want sauce?" "I do" Excellent community So far I find a chair Kid flies past Ball rolls under my foot I kick it back "Thanks!" He's gone Relationship complete Across from me Two older men Are arguing Full hand gestures One says, "You don't know What you're talking about" Other says, "Pass the sauce" He does Argument continues Oh Apparently disagreement Doesn't require Evacuation Woman sits beside me Says my name wrong I tell her once She gets it right World survives She asks How I know everybody "I don't" "Me neither" Perfect Now we know Each other a little Music changes Bass gets heavier Somebody yells, "THERE we go" Whole yard agrees I don't know the song My shoulders do Plate gets passed Napkins get passed Somebody needs ice Three people point In different directions Nobody knows Humanity continues Then I notice him Guy near the fence Cup in his hand Not talking My brain almost starts Shy? Upset? Maybe— Nah I don't know So I walk over "You eat yet?" "No" "Come on" That's it No diagnosis His name's Marcus Knows the host From years ago Works nights Likes old reggae Hates olives I learn these things Because he tells me Amazing system We make plates He asks what I do I tell him "That's not for me" "Fair" He tells me What he does Not for me either Also fair We keep talking Nobody recruits anybody At some point We're moving a table One side catches On the rug "Lift" "I'm lifting" "Brother, you are emotionally lifting" I lose it We nearly drop it Woman yells, "Y'all better not Break my shit" "Yes ma'am" Connection Apparently Later I'm sitting With people I didn't know An hour ago Some story starts Before I understand Who Denise is Everybody laughs I laugh late "You had to be there" "I clearly was not" He fills me in Mostly Enough I don't know These people's whole stories They don't know mine Still Somebody saved me A chair Somebody remembered My name Marcus brings me A napkin I hold a plate While somebody Cuts cake Tiny things Almost nothing Except enough Are happening At the same time That the whole yard Feels different Maybe connection Isn't somebody Finally understanding you Maybe sometimes It's being included Before understanding Is finished It's "Move over" "Grab a water" "Hold this" "You want some?" "Come sit down" Little doors Opening everywhere Night gets later Kids disappear Into cars Foil goes over trays Chairs start stacking I grab two Marcus grabs four Show-off Neighbor says, "Leave those out We're still sitting" Oh Apparently not done We put them back Old reggae comes on Marcus points at me "See?" "Okay This one's good" "This one's good?" He looks wounded "This is history" Here we go He starts explaining I let him Not because I need the lesson He loves the song That's enough reason To listen People drift Back toward the chairs Last pieces of cake Come out I check my phone Later than I planned I could leave Then somebody calls, "Hey You leaving?" I look over "Nah" "Good Come sit down" Chair scrapes Across the pavement Making room I sit Marcus is still explaining Why the bass line matters Woman beside him Disagrees Now they're arguing Still sharing cake I take another bite Listen Say something Get interrupted Interrupt somebody Apologize Laugh Someone calls my name From across the circle I answer No revelation Nobody solved humanity Thank God We just stayed Long enough To stop being A yard full of strangers And become Whatever this is Not finished Not perfect Just people Making room Then filling it With each other.
