After my disappointment in Banbridge, I hung around Belfast feeling sorry for myself for a while. The weather got hot and sticky. I got lazy and listless. Then I noticed an invitation to a poetry open mic evening in Donegal. Just the boost my morale needed – I threw a few clothes in a back pack, printed off some of my recent poems and headed for the bus. Three and a half hours later I stood at the crossroads in Falcarragh and debated whether I was more likely to meet fellow poets in the Shamrock or the Loft bar. The Loft bar was quiet and had introduced free WiFi since I was last in. I checked my email, twitter and Facebook and discovered that there were plenty of cultural events on in the area. The open mic evening was being held in a marquee next to the Shamrock bar the following day at 8pm.
Colin and Audrey walked into the Loft bar and were delighted to see me there. We got chatting about this and that and discussed who was likely to be at the open mic evening. Colin had helped organise the event and Audrey was keen to show off her latest poems. I had always preferred Colin’s poetry but was far too polite to tell her that.There was something slightly jarring about her style of writing, as if she was looking for applause at the end of every sentence. Audrey herself was great company, always so enthusiastic about everything. Colin was similarly effervescent but in a more guarded way. They were not yet an item but most of their friends assumed it was only a matter of time. I had met them at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast when I had first read one of my poems in public. They had been a source of encouragement ever since. My ballads were not really their thing but they indulged me and put me in touch with musician friends of theirs.
Author’s note – this is a piece of fiction. A couple of my regular readers thought that my life had taken a strange turn – although these fictional ramblings are not too far from my own experiences, they are made up. I like the idea of inventing characters and events that in some ways mirror my own life but with juicier bits thrown in. apologies for any confusion.
odespinner 