Poem: The Day of The Book Launch

My folks were in town for the launch of my latest book. I woke up and wrote this poem instead of a speech, so I read it at the launch as the start of my speech…

My parents are here, and so relieved
they’re not in it this time, they’ve already
read this book.

I’ll write a speech — but first a playlist,
there’s an awkward few minutes to fill
at the start, will two hours of music

be enough? My mother in law is making
sandwiches. Emily messaged and asked
me to remove the dead rat from her room

so she could finish her spee…