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The disaster that was my first open mic poetry reading
I thought I'd be brave and read my poem at the local cafe's poetry corner last week. I practiced for days, but when I got on stage, my mind went completely blank. Instead of my carefully crafted lines about autumn leaves, I started rambling about my grocery list. People were trying not to laugh, but one guy snorted so loud I heard it over the mic. I finished by accidentally knocking over the stool, which got a round of applause. Now I stick to writing poems in my notebook... far away from any audience.
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the_keith2h ago
Hey, at least your grocery list got a better reaction than the poem. Sarah_johnson46 is right though, that stool-knocking finish is a pretty solid bit.
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sarah_johnson464h ago
That reminds me of a podcast where a comedian talked about his first time bombing on stage. He said sometimes the weird off-script moments make the best stories later, even if they're brutal in the moment. Honestly, your stool-knocking finale sounds more memorable than most "perfect" readings I've seen.
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