I’ve never done it before,
I confessed to her
I don’t really know the …
protocols,
the routine, the form.
OK, so I know that sounds
prescriptive and functional
but, help me out,
Come on, just the basics.
No
No I didn’t quite mean it like that.
I mean
I have got an imagination
I can visualise it, sort of
And I quite like the idea.
But
What do you expect of me?
No, please don’t get impatient
There are things I need to know
Like
How long do you want?
Two minutes? Ten?
Her jaw sagged.
And performance
It’s all about performance, right?
It’s not just get up there,
do it,
and get out.
Is it?
There’s more to it than that, surely.
You know,
Should I say anything in-between.
Oh don’t go.
One more thing,
just one more thing.
Quality,
you will tell me if it’s alright,
I’m up to scratch.
Alright, bugger off then,
but it’s a big deal
Reading your poems out.