Thanks to everyone who came to my gig at Sandy Hill Arts last night – I had such a great time and a huge relief as you can probably tell from this stream-of-consciousness poem I wrote the week before about my performance anxiety…

If I was a bit wiser
I would say hold onto
Yourself, there is
No need for the
Knife, the rope,
Such crisis, such
Catastrophising and
Yet on the night
I find I’m standing
Tall and when I
Open my mouth
A sweeter sound
Comes out and perhaps
None of those faces
Watching me are
Seeing the survivor
The angst, the anxiety
That leaves me
Crippled, strung up
Like a Christmas turkey
Unable to think
Clearly, see clearly
Understand that
In the grand scheme
Of things, singing
Songs is not life-
Threatening, it is
What it is
A moment of clarity
The chance to uplift
Comfort and inspire
A moment to realise
My own courage
No guns, no bombs
Just me and a guitar.