At Hay on Wye: Poet for Hire

The notion of a poet for hire is not a new thing. I did consider that this might be a tad pretentious as a piece of street art at the Hay Festival. I am really trying to think broader. I see or have seen a beautiful extended piece of wordage in motion at Glastonbury. A wordsmith tapping away, his ribbons / pages of words reaming off into a long never ending roll of paper, wafting in the wind.

I like that I can read the work like that. A direct piece of poetry in motion. The wordsmith reacting to all around. The comments, absorbed and recycled through a human brain and hands.

I found this poet, a little stayed. His work, unpublished until someone approached, tentatively. I hate to disturb anyone even when they rare not busy. He was offered a fiver for his words. I wondered. He signed it.

I wondered. What are words without an audience?