I CAN DO

i'm at a bash
for one of the friends of the erf crowd
bound for pastures new
fresh from a ride along the canal
i sit gently steaming in the salubrious surroundings
of the ikon cafe
a swish european-style place
housed inside the neo-gothic brick splendour
of a converted art gallery:
high ceilings
trendy decor
an arty-looking crowd
blokes in berets
that sort of thing....
when everyone else shows up
the two vegans amongst the party
seat ouselves next to each other
and swap stories of animal-free exploits
the phrase 'vegan spanish' food
would place high on my list of oxymorons
but tonight there is plenty of chow
for us lettuce nibblers:
vegan paella with mushrooms n chick peas
spicy patatas bravas
wild mushrooms
tasty olives
arty choke salad
white asparagus
sweet pickled chillis curled up like prawns
green beans and caramelised onions
all washed down with plenty of free-flowing red
i'm sat opposite dawn n dave
dave is a playwright
he hands me a business card made of transparent plastic
ha! a fellow denizen of born-vile
we talk about blogging
that strange pursuit of sharing one's innermost thoughts
on a daily basis
with large numbers of complete strangers
or at least an unknown, unseen audience
a readership that exerts a definite influence
on the content of the posts
imparting a discipline
that ensures you stay on your mettle
and don't just serve up any old tripe...
like your typical spanish restaurant
ha! ha! ha!
karen says she's had writer's block since she was 21
i mention some of the ideas that have served me well
the "me-time" of the weekly artist's date
and the morning/moaning pages
those twin channels
of data coming in
and data coming out...
the bill comes
and it's a whopping five hundred squid
perhaps i can do the washing-up!
(get it?)