A slice of TLA 2015

Too little sleep
Cool night air 
On a sparsely populated
Train platform.

Familiar faces
Await my arrival
To help register attendees
And one very excited newcomer--

"Will you take a picture with me?
It's my first time at TLA!"

Rush across the downtown street.

Listen as these well-spoken women
Play riffs upon "Three Billy Goats Gruff"
This one spoofing, that one puppeteering
Another one acting, and a fourth, singing.

Drawing out the actors 
And singers
And storytellers
From us all.

(Here's me, surprisingly willing
To mimic a troll
Who hasn't had his morning coffee yet.)

Back to the convention center,
Hunting lunch--paid too much
Sat next to a friendly, familiar author
And a friendly, unfamiliar librarian.

More storytelling--digital, this time
Animated presenter
Showing us animated avatars
So many cool resources to play with!

(Oops, tablet almost dead.
Find a plug, barely charged
Head back across the street.)

Looooong line outside
The speed-dating room
Will we fit?
How does this work?

Over a dozen full tables
Authors and illustrators and
Committee members circulate
Librarians hanging on every word.

(Free, signed books?  Why yes, don't mind if I do!)

Back across the street
To the shadowed train platform
Weary, silent
Brain full of ideas.

Home to dinner and slicing and bed.

(Let's do this again tomorrow, shall we?)