You're in the middle of the piece
You're really on a roll
You've mastered every syllable
And built it to a whole

Every intonation,
Every stress is well rehearsed
You know it inside out and back-to-front
Each chorus and each verse

You even know it side-ways
You've swum through every part
Can add to it your character
Your voice, your mind, your heart

Any lazy alliteration
You can smooth over with a grace
And you can speed it up or slow_right_down
And with comfort, set the pace

Just then, in the smallest pause
The Word Gremlin sneaks in
And quickly digs his sharpened claws
Right into your thick skin

You feel a nip, a tiny pinch
Which you wish you could ignore
But you know fine well what's coming
As the claws begin to bore

You're shocked and stunned
And your brain's begun to panic
Who can blame it?
It thought you knew, but now you're screwed
And knocked right off your game

It'll steal that word right from your tongue
Then dance around with glee
Or he'll hide it from you like an imp
And just sit and smirk at thee

How did that gremlin get so close?
Did it dash in during t'laughter?
Was it hiding before we got in here
Under a table or on the rafters?

I don't know how the beast gets in
I'll find his secret soon,
For now, I say let's work together
And check often round the room

Whoever let that b*stard in
If you know who you are
Buy a pint for each poor sod he got
And keep HIM busy at the bar!