Skip to main content

The Dinner Party, a poem by Robin Gobetz



The Dinner Party


At the typical dinner party 

you may discover 

that a singer or 

a painter can garner 

guests’ attention 

with a respective solo or 

some color photos,

but if you’re asked, 

do not admit that 

you write poetry 

unless 


you want to see 

countless sets of eyes

suddenly shift to admire 

the detritus of meats 

and cheeses scattered 

about the charcuterie board, 

an unmistakable sign 

of marked disinterest, 

a party’s unenviable 

equivalent of a collective

cold shoulder.



Robin Gobetz attended Missouri State University. She’s a member of the Indiana Writers Center as well as a poetry group. She resides in Indianapolis, IN.