Poetry In The Marquee

POETRY IN THE MARQUEE

At the Dales Festival
the puppeteer's performance
was interleaved between the two
halves of the poetry reading.

Outside in the blustery wind
the poets muttered
she'd stolen half
their audience.

Then her son complained
they couldn't clear
their props and go
until the poets had finished.

The second-half audience
was not quite as big
but more attentive
with fewer distractive passers-by.

The poets read;
the musicians played;
the wind flapped the canvas;
the audience clapped loudly.

© Gerald England

Composed: Hawes, 20th August 1994

Publication

1997 Pennine Platform (UK)