Engage in preamble,

And ramble a bit until you see fit to begin.

Draw deep, close your eyes to speak.

 

Begin with thin withered lines,

Telling tales of times when life was worth living.

Don’t shuffle into nostalgia.

Still, throw in that line that tells how you used to be a free spirt,

Not a bogged down middle aged git

Unfit to wield a mic and talk like this,

Amongst peers you only fear are picking at your skin

Asking

 ‘What’s with him?’

 Old bones with clothes thrown on,

Giving an illusion of a casual man who can,

 although short and rubbing his head,

Hold court while they sit­ and laugh.

 

Speak slowly,

Be precise,

Relate,

Hate,­­­

Love

And in broken voice rise above,

With a sound to shroud yourself in mystery.

 The words even you don’t understand.

 

Then

When they are with you,

Lower your voice, and at some point..point.

Look out above their heads

 As if there is some emotion you can’t hold in,

 Go back along that vista of years,

And holding back tears

Pause…

 

 Just before the applause

You can cut in,

And with quickening pace,

Race to some overwhelming question.

A suggestion.

Another pre planned pause

Then state your cause

 With a knowing smile and even a wink,

Stop again,

 Think.

 

To the reverberating silence in the room.

you spit it out to who or whom,

Kick over the stand and hang your head low,

 'cause no reason to stay becomes a reason to go.