On Stage
in a home-made model theatre, c.1967
Glued to your block, in paint and ink you wait
for Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life to stop.
Smell of hardboard and hot bakelite.
The lino curtain’s ready to go up.
At which, the straightened coat hanger is shoved
and on you slide. A human voice offstage
is made to match the way your cardboard’s moved.
Sometimes you jiggle, sometimes you must edge
towards another cut-out, who may boast
a gimmick – moving eyes, a jerky arm
or legs that high-kick. But the best
is when the scene’s transformed behind you from
princess’s castle to a magic forest glade,
with coloured cellophane for atmosphere –
that wooden lighting bar above your head
those in the dark will gasp at, thinking: Fire…
But all is well. Your last soliloquy
has come, and no one’s parents left their seat.
Applause. You’re clattered on so they can see
the workmanship. Then everything goes flat.
John Greening is a Bridport, Arvon and Cholmondeley winner with collections from Bloodaxe, Carcanet and others. He’s edited many poets and anthologies, notably Contraflow. His Selected, The Interpretation of Owls (Baylor, ed. Gardner) came out 2023.