‘ Modesty is a virtue not often found among poets, for almost every one of them thinks himself the greatest in the world.’ – Miguel de Cervantes

Nothing could be further from the truth during an evening at Read Between The Rhymes, the poetry group that meets on the last Tuesday of every month, at The Incubator.

The monthly meetings are casual, friendly and welcoming. You don’t need to recite your own works, or the works of other writers, though you can. You don’t have to follow the chosen theme of that month’s meeting, but you can. We meet, we nibble, we sip, we laugh, we recite.

No one is ever greeted with a Simon Cowell-like ‘That’s a NO from me.’ We simply share the joy of poetry in whatever form we like.

From rhyming-couplets, to whimsical tales of our own histories, to daydreams described, to the silliest nonsense you have ever heard, to the social commentary, to the darkest depths of the broken hearts, to that one about the girl from Nantucket.

Of an evening, there is more chatter than poetry and that’s the way we like it. Good people sharing a good time, and everyone is welcome.

Back to Senor de Cervantes, the Spanish poet…..At each meeting there is but one rule. You are not allowed to apologise for your work. This was instigated after a night, we noted that every poet apologised for his/her poem before reading it for being unfinished, scribbled, only written five minutes ago or just not very good. Not a single claim of genius to be found. But there is genius to be heard, every month.

You should come and see and hear it unfold. Like a rolled-up bag of fish and chips. Which you open slowly……
Chips, still warm,
Salted,
Not bitter.
Oh look,
Among the ruins,
I found a potato fritter.