The excitement
The people not yet known
The feel of a group who will never be together again
Who have made a unique pulse
That lasts only for the length of the celebration
I get lost in the excitement
Let its waves move me where ever
It may choose
I am at the mercy of the party gods
I forget I have my own will
My own intentions for the night
I become consumed with other people’s emotions
Drink, drink, drink
For the benefit of the group
Rather than for my own enjoyment
To make the party
Louder
Merrier

I wake up the next day and curse the magic
That only existed with those people
For those hours
I was not in my mind
I do not remember the fun that was had
It was for the party only
It was not mine

every time
a man
presumes
to place his hand on my arm
regardless of my feelings,
I stare him in the eye
and imagine
my invisible, instantly retractable, razor sharp arm spikes
have just caused him
the pain
of centuries of women
at the mercy of men’s presumption.