Hard Act to Follow Last week I arrived early at the poetry reading, And as the first poet got up to read I heard her mutter "That's a hard act to follow." That seemed odd, Because she didn't seem to be following anything at all. Later on I asked her. "No, I wasn't following another poet. But I wasn't following Nothing either. I wasn't following Cosmic Emptiness, The wait for the birth of the universe. I was following your day: The broken copier at the office, The idiot who cut you off on the freeway, Whatever good or bad news had come in the day's mail. And don't forget dinner and the trip here. And it's not like following another poet, Because with another poet I can judge the mood And choose accordingly. No, what I'm following is different for each of you, So there's no one thing I can do that will be right for all. So that's why whoever goes first Has a hard act to follow." Tom Digby written 16:26 May 26, 1995