Anti-Social Workshop
around the workshop table
the seats were so crowded
it was impossible to sit
without physical contact
with the person on either side
not to sit at the table
would be seen as
anti-social
not wanting to be part of the group
one would fail to be
a full participant
outsiders weren’t wanted
at this table of outsiders
outsiders
who stiffened
when their person space was
infringed upon
forced into unwanted close company
with one another
more time was spent
apologizing for being squeezed
than was spent on the workshop
all that was produced
was frustration
at the lack of respect
for personal boundaries
& a disregard one another’s opinions
As you might guess this piece was written well before the pandemic. It was also the writing workshop that made me decide never to go to a workshop held in a bar, restaurant or even someone’s home. This one was in a private room with a curved booth banquette around a large round table. A table that could sit ten people – as long as they didn’t have coats, shoulder-bags/knapsacks, iPads, writing pads, or elbows. There were twelve of us including the facilitator.
Oh yes – we all expected to order drinks of some sort to allow free use of the space. Fortunately the beverages could be floated in the air over the table so there no risk of spilling them on our hand-outs, iPads or writing pads.
There was jostling for positions at the table as late-comers arrived. Thus a six hour workshop was reduced to five – no make that four with time lost to the delivery of libations & the need of the facilitator to repeat things said while various people missed what was said due to turning of cellphones that rang while things were being said.
It was also at this workshop that one participant said to another, who had said the piece lacked clarity – ‘you aren’t the target audience.’ Sigh. At the first ‘let’s stretch our legs’ I went to a nearby coffee shop & opted not to return. I’m guess I’m an overly sensitive faux-poet not willing to suffer for art.
TOpoet 