I misheard the word at first -
Thought of jackdaws, rooks, magpies
Circling overhead;
Heard corona and thought of beer.
Was glad when a ski trip returned from
Italy and my parents set off to safety in
The land of the long white cloud.
I was the voice of calm reassurance in the classroom:
“No danger to you,” I said
“Just like the flu,” I said
Parroting my lines like a good soldier:
Hands
Face
Space
I sewed masks from fat quarters
A dozen soft cotton coverings
And bought up sanitizer when I saw it.
Thought it strange when shelves were stripped of
Basics: pasta, toilet paper and common sense.
Gradually, we had a new vocabulary –
Lockdown, bubble up.
We banged pans and baked bread,
Sang happy birthday as we washed our hands,
Pulled together and met online:
Skype, Zoom, Teams, Facetime...
None of it felt real.
Until they shut the schools.
That was my moment-
Watching the blazered youth
Cheer their way home
As if it were a holiday;
Closing the windows in a silent classroom.
Comments