Audience – Written January 2026 (Aged 50)

Audience

I heard the story,
and I sympathised.
If you read me,
if you looked at my eyes,
you would see the words
that are burrowed deep
into my inside.
I know,
I was the person
who thought being cheeky
was fun and harmless.
Then I discovered
what it meant
to have no social harness —
and what it means
when the joke does run flat,
and the audience has left,
with none of them
looking back.
I know,
impulsivity has an appeal —
sometimes it can even be fun.
But as an idea,
it seems to be more tied to the mast –
of being young;
at least the kind
that shipwrecks itself
on jagged rocks.
But I heard you say,
and I know —
I know valuing your life
is just so hard,
especially
when you are always
falling apart.

James Garratt – January 2026

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https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/2020/01/08/the-boy-behind-the-glasses-an-introduction/

More poems from 2026
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/category/poems-and-writing-2026/