By Hina (2020)
As I look out of the porthole
I see stillness in several parked cars and closed doors
Closed windows on houses screaming lockdown
What has happened to us?
We’re locked in!
It’s so surreal, like an apocalypse almost
“Be safe, stay indoors”, we are told
This is scary
So, I clean frantically
I listen to daily government briefings
Is this for real?
Yes, it is, yes, it is!
As I wake up
My first thought is Covid – 19
I get up, repeat
I feel cut off from the world
Adapt, adapt and clean, stay safe, stay in
That’s the new normal
Are you Okay?
“Please stay home!” I beg my loved ones
Venturing out for a walk is eerie
It’s like a ghost town
Quick dash to the post office
PPE’d up
The invisible enemy coronavirus vs each human
It’s OK, we’ve got this!
“We’re all in it together” they say
“Are we, really?!”
My neighbour & I chat properly this time
He also says “stay safe”
Then I wonder, are the elderly couple at No.4 okay? I go check
“Yes, we are, thank you for caring” they say pleasantly surprised
This really has caused a humanitarian shift
I feel it, I see it
Connecting humbly with more “Hi’s & Byes”
Must get out for my walk today
It’s been a long time
Dodging people, thinking keep your distance!!
We look at each other as threats
Do they have it, don’t come near me
Then finally, I exhale as I step onto the grassy green
I can hear the birds chirping more
They move around so freely
Not obstructed by planes and pollution
Then a lady smiles as she sensibly passes
“Are you out for your daily walk?” She asks
“Yes” I say as I smile with relief
With a thumbs up she’s on her way
Strangers we maybe, but we’re like two ships
Passing in this unchartered sea
With a bright big rainbow of hope
And just as I return to my front door
I am met by a cat
I stop to say hello as I marvel at the small things
As now they really are the big things
Then the cat darts off
And again, I am home looking through the porthole
At the sea with its rainbow.