The Speech

The following is a transcript of The Speech, an original piece by Jim Poyser. When he performed this live on December 2, 2023 at Jim Fest, the audience rewarded him with a standing ovation and the occasional festive verbal utterance.

Salutation that includes the general category of time of day. A reference to sports follows, as a means of uniting the audience on a subject both entertaining and uncontroversial, easing my way into the substance of my speech.   

I begin the preliminary body of my speech with remarks tinged with self-deprecation so you know right away I’m a humble individual, not privy to self-aggrandizement. I follow this opening by an acknowledgement of gratitude for the fine folks who put this event together along with an acknowledgement of other, previous honorees or speechmakers, further establishing my intrinsic humility, followed by one more self-deprecating remark to both evoke humor and also signal the end of this first section. 

Next, I state an inspirational bromide.

The substance of my speech thus begins with significant, memorable quotes, then a digression lists a number of issues and items that won’t fit into the main narrative of my speech which, as I return to it now, touches upon the historical backdrop that forms the frame for my message followed by current examples that reinforce my message followed by a series of prescriptions that could bring about the fruition of the goal of the substance of my message leading to a bold pronouncement of a vision of the future which extols the audience to action.

In case your attention is flagging, I make an allusion to AI which is sure to reignite your interest. Then, a return to the earlier sports reference fashions a tidy frame for my speech’s narrative arc.

After a meaningful pause, I make a remark that expresses a vague, non-denominational entreaty of magical thinking.

Gratitude for the audience is expressed one final time to signal my speech’s end, which you respond to in the obligatory manner of showing approval by the clapping of hands together in an enthusiastic manner, to both show your appreciation for my speech as well as — secretly — being glad it’s done.

You may also make the occasional festive verbal utterance, while continuing to applaud.