Oke Doke Karaoke

It's odd what interests people and what they think is fun
And that the choices are so different for everyone.
Just give me a microphone and your work is over
I'll talk and tell tall tales, whether tipsy or cold sober.

Trinh flies off tall hills with flimsy wings of vinyl
And Jan writes fairy stories with messages sublimal.
Some friends run or swim or cycle just for exercise
Others spend hours on crosswords for a piddling little prize.

I'm not sure what inspires some folk - seeking variety or fame?
Is it to conquer fear, excel or merely play the game?
I have never felt the lure of squeezing down crevasses
Or setting Guinness records for wrestling in molasses.

Mount Everest has been climbed - so why do it again?
Surfing waves ten storeys high is patently insane.
There really is a reason that caves are underground
And the highest, deepest, largest features have probably been  found.

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My Best Friend's Wedding has a scene that makes my eyelids sting.
The bride-to-be accepts the dare to take the mike and sing.
She really is quite dreadful but laughs as though she's singing well.
For most of us the very thought is the hottest floor of hell.

Tonight I went out clubbing to support my singing friend.
Like any competition when you're competing at the end,
Contestants gave it all they had, which was never a surprise -
Singing Karaoke for a quite substantial prize.

To get points for presentation, some dressed up like a dream
With red and white and tinsel for the Christmas theme.
And sixteen singers, one by one, delivered up their song
With a little bit of nervousness but rarely got it wrong

The judges sat in concentration just below the floor
With such a lot at stake, they had to keep the score
But from the tables nearby I learned what I should know
With commentary from experts who'd come there for the show.

This bloke is good and he looks the part
But he's often slow and he'll miss the start.

And she will dazzle on the stage
Her costumes are truly all the rage.

Now her voice is sweet but not much power
Should sing out here like in the shower.

He steps up on the stage and he always trips
But just you wait when he lets the notes rip.

Wait for this one, she's in with a chance
Combining her song with a bit of a dance.

This guy could be the winner tonight
As long as he's got the song choice right.

On and on the comments roll, as each new person sings
I'm pleased I'm not a judge who has to know these things.
When the winners are called at last I assume that they are right
There are sighs of disappointment and expressions of delight.

But from where I sit on the sidelines, as the Karaoke ends
I realise that under the spotlight, they all compete as friends.
They were here to have some fun and enjoy their time of glory
And winning the contest was just the highlight of the story.

                                          **********

But come on now, this was the best of the best
So stick around and take a look at the rest.
There's the one-song wonder and the one that chants
And one who's been smoking some mind bending plants.

Some start to sing when they're eighty or more
And some quite frankly were behind the door.
Some can't hold a tune or get to the beat
Some crumble and cry and can't take the heat.

There's always a reason for your dilemma
Your voice may be weak or may have a tremor.
You've always been told just to watch and hear.
Now you've made the choice to face your fear.

When you stand in front of the mirror at home
Even if you're good, you're all alone.
Or you can step up to the mike and have some fun.
That's Karaoke - when all's said and done.