Stand-Up

Watching comics do their shtick,
And generally succeeding,
Makes it seem like it’s not hard,
But that is so misleading.

Picture being on that stage,
The audience awaiting;
You want to hear them laugh until
They’re hyperventilating.

You have to reel them in like fish;
They’re looking to get caught.
They’ve paid their money – now they want
To see what you have brought.

You take a breath and dive right in
And hope for a reaction;
And if you’re lucky there’ll be laughter –
Ah, what satisfaction!

But if you bomb, you’re stuck up there
And time must seem to stretch;
You can’t exactly march off
In the middle of your sketch.

As someone in the audience,
I marvel at their nerve;
And think that they should get
The accolades that they deserve.

For what they try to do’s so tough
Their pulses must be pumping;
I’ve heard it said that stand-up
Makes a cinch of bungee-jumping!