Lucienne Kim Flavell
Performs At The Ledbury Poetry Slam 2015
There was a queue of people when I arrived at The Market Theatre. The gentleman at the door asked if I was a performer. I said yes and he led me into the reception area were a group of poets chatted excitedly.
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| The venue |
I could feel my mouth going dry as I contemplated the task ahead of me. This was my first public performance in five years and I had never performed at a poetry slam. I had never been to a poetry slam. I didn't know what to expect.
I attempted conversation with a couple of friendly looking women. They told me they had both performed at many poetry slams. They said I was very brave to start at the biggest poetry festival in the UK.
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The organiser led us to the front of the hall. I counted over two hundred heads. I frowned as more people poured in and started to take up residency in the gang way; they had accidently oversold tickets.
Sara-Jane Arbury read out my introduction and I climbed the few steps to the stage. I could feel my heart in my mouth as I reached the microphone. I took a few seconds to scan the faces in the front row. My mum give a thumbs up.
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| Lucienne Kim Flavell Ledbury Poetry Slam 2015 |
I took a deep breath and did everything as I had practiced; the facial expressions, the emotion in my voice. Towards the end my whole body was shaking; not because the poem I was reciting was mournful but because my nerves had got the better of me.
