2,000 Jokes
Down in the basement of
Brighton’s Komedia they
sank beer & wines whilst
supping on stage humour
[‘tween ripped-at bags of
crisps – side plates of thin
chips appeared] & then –
our compère threw vents
of disgrace – her polemic
spew of so-pained-by-life-
facts – a comic stood still
centre stage – mic-smiled
as practiced – one not to
go off-script [no ad-lib at
this stage of her career] –
The booze sat heavy – a
fourth pint that night – as
crafted jokes poured out –
as laughter grew in kind –
darker jokes eyed inside
about loves & leniency – a
kind of disturbing lust – it
would crack them up [my
two-hander – about it all]
but I’m best sat unspoken –
to run-through poor verse
in my head [two thousand
jokes? – too broken to say]