Brave New Words, based at The Stove in
Dumfries, put out a feeler in November last year for poetry and stories inspired
by the theme of ‘What Now’ from writers in Dumfries and Galloway. The project
was to create their first newspaper type anthology of new writing.
It was a hard subject to write about
without falling into cliches, and I’d been reluctant up until this point to express
anything about my lockdown experience. But, I did, in the end. It’s not a feel-good poem. It’s not a sad poem. Just a questioning one.
Further information on the anthology
entitled 'What Now', in which my poem appears along with work from two other members
of my writing group and other great writers, can be obtained from info@thestove.org
The Now
Winter now?
Black branches silhouetted against grey skies,
jackdaw’s sermons dominate the dawn chorus,
snow covers the hills like a lost white sheet
from the washing line,
and short days and long nights eat away at nature’s
workaday.
And now?
A shadowy cast of hunched folk scurry, silenced
behind coverings; a wave and scrunched eyes
instead,
for a virus lurks in the hills and vales,
retreating us to our own fabricated foxholes.
By now?
The fires, the films, the desperate fervour to maintain
normality doesn’t
fill our emptiness nor our aches for lost loves
as the touch of a human
is washed off as we sing happy birthday, for
fear permeates
our time as we wait … wait … wait … for our
turn to be ill.
What now?
Have we really become kinder, valued nature
that feeds us
and questioned our behaviours that led us here,
for to raise
our voice, sing or scream is forbidden. God
help us all,
for this is not WHAT now. This is THE now.
Your, right neither positive or sad - some lovely lines, especially liked the jackdaws sermons.
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you!
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