I will list them
the bands that I’ve seen
as I nursed a pint
for as long as I could
in venues
where in spite of the crowds
I was always on my own

I did my best to blend in
sought to give
an impression
that
I was waiting for others
who
stuck in queues at the bar
couldn’t get back
or had lost me in the dark

were you fooled?
were you there?
in Gloucester,
Cheltenham
Sheffield
Leicester
I will be specific

or did the drink
the chewing of the fat
let me go undetected
like the thief Garrett?
as I yearned to hear Harvey
sing about her dress
lingering behind you
a respectful distance.

copyright ashyvicar april 2020