POEM: Ellen van Neerven THE CRYPTIC: Mungo MacCallum
we scroll the news trying to figure out what’s to come looking at measures placed on other countries
school closures city lockdowns individual freedoms we give up
where will we be a day from now a week, a month six months from now?
projections made onto bodies hearts in mouths we worry ourselves sick
looking outside ourselves time to look within go inside
we scrutinise the house what’s not on our shelves counting what we have left
with fresh eyes we see shelter-in-place it’s time to make a home
clean and mend what we have make warm and special it’s the only place we’ve got rearrange the spice rack tea cupboard sock drawer
maybe find something we thought we lost retrieved from a locked place
pick up that book finish that puzzle rekindle an old thought
bake a cake pick up a paintbrush, pencil or needle rewire the self
host freshly picked flowers light a candle put on a favourite record
it’s okay to grieve
2020 it’s not what we expected
ring friends and kin living alone check in with our voice
no mass gatherings at funerals we send digital messages to the bereaved the absence of ceremony hurts the dog needs to be walked we shuffle outside there is no one about
butterflies surround us the world shuts down borders the birds carry on as usual
the world is a physical place social distancing is hard the virus is a living thing
it weaves separation
Dr Suan says to isolate is not an act of fear it’s an act of love
how will we be in lockdown will we sing like the Italians cheer for front-line workers like the Spanish?
love our Elders nurture affective relations share our pasta