Doing time

Sacrifice

sacrificing the old for the young
is now the mantra of democracy
who cares if corona's shadows
stalk the roof of wrinkled tiles
time to bring out your dead
paint the crumbling caravan
set the ancient wood afire
for the old have had their time

New Hell
If I am jailed much longer
I shall lose my fragile mind,
I would rather face my chances
with COVID's cruel caress
than live in a prison cell
with chains and slavery's manacles
within this lock down hell.

Tomorrow
tomorrow
will be a better day
God willing
I will put away my hating hat
find my compassionate beret
put it in cheeky fashion askew
on my very bemused head
and stop wishing myself ,
and everyone else,
would drop down dead

Annie Elliott

The powers that be now say we can go for a short drive to take a long walk. For me, even a short walk counts as long, and a short drive is anywhere out of Hundon, so after yesterday's rain when we could go nowhere, I drove out of the village to  walk along the reservoir approach road. This is concreted and less muddy than the fields, and the dogs enjoyed getting back in the car after all these weeks.

Ann does not come and has been prolifically producing poetry. Much of it is the inner scream against confinement; Ann more than most could not bear to be locked in, restricted, imprisoned. Even after her Caesarean section she was up in a day, and home two days later, only agreeing to be wheel-chaired to the car because it was a condition of her discharge.

Now we see no one, go nowhere, not even a simple drive, and the pain is growing intense, though eased occasionally with a better day, as in Tomorrow.  It is raining again, so no more work in the garden or more country walks. Just four walls, and moving from room to room to vary the scene. We even have a television in the bedroom so we can sometimes sit up there to watch it as a change from down stairs all day.

We do a lot more reading, and the crosswords. Ann has also sent for some paints and paper, so inspired by Grayson Perry's Art Club, we will try our hand at some art. The results will certainly be amusing, and it will pass an hour or two. Who knows, if the pictures are vaguely recognisable, I might even publish one or two in this blog!