Arrogant egotist, seeking same
For endless argument, wedded bliss
Mutual misery, permanent pain
Violent tantrums and fucked up kids
Step one pace forward
If you think you’re hard enough
Sign the disclaimer,
A pre-nup of sorts
Then catch the bouquet
Such a poignant reminder
All lies can be pretty
While memory’s short
The show must go on
As if pain were so much motley
Your costume for the close of Act One
Calls for something jolly
The lighting grid that follows closely
Every tiny truth
Is signalling for sequence two
So hit your marker, move!
No tears may fall upon your cheek
For make-up will no secrets keep
And running down your chin to seep
Through dry-clean-only, borrowed, cheap
Steal hope for critic’s mild misgivings
Drowning in depressing clippings
Uglified by wig and ribbons
Pantomime with all the trimmings
Make dumb show and mime for laughs
How things are fine – they’ve rung the half
Don’t let us down, we’ve paid to see
Up close, what’s not reality
Katherine Shirley 