Process

THE ordeal of callers
Comes when they start to go.
They rise, they teeter
On one toe,
By slow degrees
They reach the hall,
Proceeding there
To salvage all
Their gloves, coats, purses,
Hats and sticks,
While somebody
Takes up politics,
And somebody
Begs a glass of water,
And somebody
Wakes the infant daughter,
And somebody
Names the ten best shows,
And somebody
Asks to powder her nose,
Until
With one Gargantuan heave
Of unsuspected strength
They leave.

RUTH LAMBERT JONES