- The poetry reading is hopping. Duane, Donna, and Nicholas sit off to the side. Nicholas holds a small dish that’s stacked high with meatballs.
- A SCRAGGLY POET WITH AN EYE PATCH is rocking the mic.
- EYE PATCHED POET
- (with eyes closed)
- And I wept, for I had no one with whom to share my beautiful erection. Thank you.
- Awkward silence and then VERY POLITE APPLAUSE.
- DONNA DASHER
- (referring to the poetry)
- How do you like it?
- NICHOLAS FREDLAND
- (referring to the meatballs)
- They’re really good.
- The MC of the event, DIANE BARTHOLOMEW-DREW goes to the mic.
- DIANE BARTHOLOMEW-DREW
- Thank you, Norman. Powerful as always. Our final poet tonight is Caroline Bees.
- Again, polite applause as CAROLINE BEES comes to the mic.
- CAROLINE BEES
- Thank you, Diane. This is dedicated to a guy I used to know. A voice from the clouds tells you that you have to perform a task. A simple task. You have to fall in love. If you don’t the world will end. And everyone will know it was your fault. They’ll all go to heaven but you’ll go to hell, and, in heaven, someone will say, “Isn’t someone missing?”, and everyone will look around and they’ll do a head count and find that Nick Fredland isn’t there. Then the rumors will start and it’ll get pretty ugly, so God will have to step in and say, “Yeah, it was Nick. He couldn’t even fall in love. So you all died”, and someone will say, “What a jerk”, and someone else will say, “Seriously, how hard could it have been?”, and some real sad sack will stand up and say, “Even I fell in love!”, and everyone will laugh.
