you are my people

in this room
strangers all of you

relief in our eyes
in this room

for an hour
egos to be checked

at the door
name tags break

anonymity our
introductions don’t

no one’s reading them
in this room

cocktail parties
get going in the ones

on either side
we all have one of two

(or both) last names
beginning with “a”

our noms de bouteille