I don’t care if it’s not cutting-edge enough for 3:AM scenesters: it’s poetry, and there’s little enough of that around, so it’s worth celebrating. John Hegley‘s got a new monthly night at the Big Chill House in London, with one this week on Thursday 8th, and the next one on March 22nd.
I think John Hegley is some kind of genius, but I’m easily pleased. Anyway, it’s highly recommended. There’s not much information about what will actually happen on the night, but he’ll probably be talking rubbish, playing the ukelele, and reciting poems like this one, a personal favourite, Very Bad Dog:
I took Rover over to the park the other day
I met another bloke with another dog on the way
his dog was an alsation
my dog was not
he said is that dog an alsation
I said no
and he said why don’t you get a proper dog?
and I said Rover
ignore this copper
and I pick up a stick
and I hold it over Rover
and say Rover jump out of the clover
and get stuck into the stick
and Rover jumps out of the clover
and bites me in the arm
ALARM ALARM
my dog my dog why hast thou mistaken me?
I am not calm
my dog has done me harm
in my arm
I show him the toothmarks
see Rover where the skin is mauver
Rover sees these nasty marks
he barks
and he begs
for forgiveness
yet I know I must break his legs
