My MUM, a local lady from Windle, has written this poem about lockdown life and I feel like it’s too good (I’m biased!) for it not to be shared.


Gemma, Rainford

Locked down!
House bound
An isolation ground
Face masked
Social distance tasked
Crowd avoidance
A challenge asked

Work from home
The new office
Space
While essential workers
Frantically run to keep
Apace
With people’s demands
For online food
And endless shopping commands

Limited journeys only
But hospital emergency
Medical staff
Stoically
Head into work
To heal and take care
Of all the bed ridden patients
Lying there
Courageously ignoring
Their own personal
Safety
In this scary world
Of human
Frailty

Family visits
Not permitted
So loving virtual hugs
Must
be transmitted
Via WhatsApp
contacting
And
Zoom
video chatting
By
parents, grandparents
Relatives
Friends and all
Who are
now
Internet
embracing
As face to face
Physical interaction
Is slowly fading

No closeness now
Only huggingly feeble
Smiles
Sent across the distant miles
By
cyberspace
Communication
That’s teaching the
Nation
What matters most?
What must be held fast?
And so be treasured
When this covid
Virus is
PAST
HFK 2020
(Alternate ending . . .)
And will it be treasured
When this Covid
Virus has
PAST?
Helena Frances of Windle