Nu’aym ibn Hammad said that:

”Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak 181 AH used to stay in his house a lot so it was said to him, ‘don’t you feel lonely?’ He said, ‘How can I feel lonely when I am with the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions?’

In another narration, he said, ‘Am I on my own?! No, rather I am with the Prophets, the Righteous, the Wise ones; the Prophet and his Companions!’ Then he began to recite the following lines of poetry:

وﻟﻲ ﺟﻠﺴﺎء ﻣﺎ أﻣﻞ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﻬﻢ *** أﻟﺒﺎء ﻣﺄﻣﻮﻧﻮن ﻏﻴﺒﺎً وﻣﺸﻬﺪا

I have companions whose speech I never tire of
Intelligent ones, trustworthy in absence and in presence

إذا ﻣﺎ اﺟﺘﻤﻌﻨﺎ آﺎن ﺣﺴﻦ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﻬﻢ *** ﻣﻌﻴﻨﺎً ﻋﻠﻰ دﻓﻊ اﻟﻬﻤﻮم ﻣﺆﻳﺪا
When we gather together then their good speech
Helps me ward off all worries and concerns

ﻳﻔﻴﺪوﻧﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻠﻤﻬﻢ ﻋﻠﻢ ﻣﺎ ﻣﻀﻰ *** وﻋﻘﻼ وﺗﺄدﻳﺒﺎ ورأﻳﺎ ﻣﺴﺪدا
They benefit me with their knowledge of what has passed by
Of wisdom, intelligence, discipline and correct opinion

ﺑﻼ رﻗﺒﺔ أﺧﺸﻰ وﻻ ﺳﻮء ﻋﺸﺮة *** وﻻ أﺗﻘﻲ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻟﺴﺎﻧﺎ وﻻ ﻳﺪا
I fear neither cruelty nor evil companionship
Nor do I fear from them a ruthless tongue or hand

ﻓﺈذا ﻗﻠﺖ: أﺣﻴﺎء ﻓﻠﺴﺖ ﺑﻜﺎذب *** وإن ﻗﻠﺖ: أﻣﻮات ﻓﻠﺴﺖ ﻣﻔﻨﺪا
If you were to say, ‘They are alive’ then you have not told a lie
And were you to say, ‘They are dead’ then you are not wrong.

Source: Biography of Abdullah ibn Mubaarak pgs. 10-11