I’m looking forward to this evening’s open mic, hosted on zoom by the lovely folks of Stairwell Books. It’s just one of several open mics I’ve been attending throughout lockdowns and the general chaos of living through a pandemic. It’s been a great way to get a fix of social contact, to share extracts of published work, or try out something new, a poem, or a song. (I don’t sing, I hasten to add, although it’s always a treat to hear others.) Zoom has allowed gatherings from literally all over the world, and tonight promises to be as varied, as eclectic, as welcoming as ever.
I’ll be trying something new tonight from an idea I’m mulling over. It’s not the poem below, that is quite simply a big thank you to all those who have hosted and found innovative ways of keeping us together over the past year or so.
Did we ever think we would see the day,
Lockdown, shutdown, countdown to Freedom Day,
Perhaps we should retire the expression,
Avoid it like the plague,
When science is brought into question,
And fact is reduced to emotion all too vague,
Allowing for little or no effort in avoiding an actual plague.
For those of us attune to shielding,
Against a virus unyielding,
Watching an invisible threat through clouded windows,
Sceptical of politicians fooling,
Mindful of our NHS heroes
Being Zeroed, while we feel detachment looming,
In the chaos that is mushrooming.
Closed in by these four walls,
Scouring the shelves seeking magic portals,
Wrapped in a comfort blanket of rereads,
Transported, illuminated, flying with the phoenix,
Stories like friends, that nourish and feed,
Our need for company, friends missed,
That sense of belonging, in need of a social fix.
And when you long to hear words unedited,
Social contact with kind faces uninhibited,
Login, zoom in, find your place in the room,
Among friends and strangers looking out from their squares,
Dressed up, at least waist up, ready for zoom,
Each singing their own tune, eager to share,
Applauding with emojis and jazz hands to show that we care,
In this forum where it’s good and proper to boast,
And be grateful to all of our zoom hosts.
