The following is not exactly a poem. It does, however, have the benefit of being true.

For most people what defines a party
is the moment they remember.
It's the laugh you will never forget,
The tears that slide down your cheeks
Happy or sad, they are the tears.
It is the camaraderie
through the good times
(and may the good times be many)
and the bad times
(and may they be mercifully brief).
It is the joke that doubles you over
gasping for air.
It's the smiles.
It's the smells.
Maybe it's the booze.
It's the mellow glow, sometimes bittersweet.
It's everything you feel and nothing you can express.

I am not most people.
If you ask me what defines a party
it is not the people, no matter how much I love them
or the place, no matter how beautiful.
It's not the smells that burn into my brain
or the glow of friendship.

Those are all dear to me, but they do not define it.

For me, what shapes an event
is whether I am invited
or not.

I may not be able to attend some that I am invited to
(and believe me, I do miss them!)
but the invite is what I appreciate most.