A Gap In The Clouds

Well!

I finally did it, I went to an evening of live poetry readings to read some of my poems.

It was in a café I sometimes visit in Wolverhampton called WildBytesCafé and they have a monthly event called Viva Voce. I was rather nervous, or maybe a bit more than rather 🙂 as I’ve only read my writings in the writing group I go to, or here on my blog and on YouTube. I was assured it was a cosy group which made me feel better.

We started at about 7.30 and read round the little group. I think I read about 6 poems and the piece I’ve written here called Love! and they were well received so that made me more comfortable with the sharing.

When I read my poetry here with just me and the microphone I get involved with the words and my emotions and feelings take over, so I was worried I would get too emotional and not be able to finish anything! While reading a couple I could feel myself falling into the self-conscious “doubt? agony? frustration?” of myself and so I had to control my breathing with a little extra breath here and there and maybe a little cough to disguise my emotions (I could feel them trying to break through).

As is normal with a group we chatted about this and that, which also helped to ease me onto the next poem.

They serve lovely food there too 🙂

~

Well!

I was out last night at my local pub and noticed it was more busy than usual for a Wednesday so while chatting to the barmaid, while ordering another round, I found out they now have an Open Mike Night every fortnight, and she had to say it didn’t she 🙂 she said anyone can come up and sing or perform or even read poetry, well with a couple of pints of Guinness inside me I happened to mention that I’m a poet and only last night I did my first live reading, so, she pointed someone out who I should speak to and we chatted and then a few minutes later I was visited at the table and we discussed me coming to read at the next event (he wanted me to get up and read there and then, ha ha not a chance!) so it turns out I’ve talked myself into reading in a pub in two weeks time, but this will be even more scary as I’ll be standing up in front of lots of people, GULP!! Aaaaaaargh RUN AWAY!!