Reading at Scottish Poetry Library – The Syllabary

Me reading at the launch of Peter McCarey’s Syllabary project, a collaboration that will one day include 2200 poets.

NiK
My name is Nick and I got three months
when I tried to nick a loaf from Tesco.
The police caught me in the nick
of time, said they were going to nick me.
They dragged me to the nick, kept to their promise
and months later sent me to the other nick.
With too much time on my hands
I began reading about how they nick horses;
an interesting subject if youre fond of tails.
I play a bit of squash in the courtyard, always aiming
for the imaginary nick; the exercise keeps me in good nick.
I nick my face, when scraping the rug
with a razor, looking in the dirty mirror, contemplating.
If only I could nick off, I’d be a changed man
and with new ideas, I’d make a nick.

Click here to hear the original one man version: The Syllabary

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