I’ve never been to a poetry reading before br Are there candles and joss-sticks to garnish the floor? br Or would these combustible hazards, in fact, br Contravene a new European Fire Safety Act? br Do the audience sit cross-legged - all their feet bare? br Or are they in eveningwear there on a chair? br Can I swear? Can I shout? Can I jump all about? br Are there strict rules of etiquette forbidden to flout? br If I go down real well will they shout out for more br Or is there no such thing as a poetry encore? br Can I do a cover version of Hegley or Ayres? br Or is it bad taste to use other poetry wares? br Is there a mosh-pit for poetry fans to get down in? br Will there be stage-diving? Or simply some nodding and frowning? br This is my first ever reading from the poetry page br And here I am now, up the front, on the stage.