Hello all, I am a professional poet and occasional comedian! Live comedy has helped me through some very dark times indeed, and I am passionate about the cause of saving it. I wrote a poem especially on this topic, which some of you might like to share on Twitter, Facebook or Insta. Here it is; do please copy me in to any sharings!
SAVE LIVE COMEDY by Joshua Seigal @joshuaseigal
In dingy rooms on top of pubs,
on rainy nights in basement clubs,
in tented fields and rural hubs --
a laugh can soothe the soul.
At midnight, drunk and packed in rows,
at open mics and five-star shows,
with amateurs or seasoned pros --
a chuckle makes us whole.
When hopeful blokes get gonged off stage,
when ranting poets spit with rage,
when jesters test our pressure gauge
and leave us wanting more,
it sprinkles life with seasoning
and gets our lungs to leap and sing;
such times as these can be the thing
to touch us at our core.
The slickest acts who wield their wit,
the group with their pretentious skit,
the callow youth who's rather... untalented,
the old-school and the woke;
we face a new reality
of worry and uncertainty
so help us save live comedy.
For once, it's not a joke.
