One Month Into Lockdown (Staying Safe & Staying Home)
one month into lockdown
And I’m standing here again
And I’m gazing from the window
At the early morning rain
Been days of welcome sunshine
I’ve been working here from home
It’s all way off in the future
but it’s what I’ve always known
As I look across the valley
I can see our little town
The roads are more than silent
There’s a sense of peace around
You can call it isolation
You don’t have to be alone
You just need to feel the moment
Staying safe and staying home
We could live in fear out walking
As we stride across the land
we could dress up like Darth Vader
Tape measures in our hands
We could set them on two metres
And all wave them from the start
So if anyone comes near us
we could keep them far apart
we could ring a bell or whistle
When we’re taking exercise
we could all wear scarves like robbers
with dark glasses on our eyes
and they call it social distancing
It’s a phrase we’ve never known
We’re just doing what they told us
Staying safe and staying home
And on Thursdays in the evening
We will clap with all our might
For the nurses and the carers
And for those who shine a light
And for those all stuck in places
Where they didn’t mean to be
With no back yard or a garden
Or some welcome company
And for those who drive the lorries
The buses and the trains
Who risk their lives for others
Once again and then again
I’ve been humbled by their courage
While they’re out there for us all
Just to keep this planet going
But I’ve seen too many fall
It’s a standstill situation
Of the kind we’ve never known
But it’s heart’ning knowing we’re all
Staying safe and staying home
I’ve got books that I had started
Before this came about
Of a world that was enticing
When we used to venture out
And although it’s quiet and silent
It’s the way I love to stay
And I think myself so lucky
For another groundhog day
It’s a moment to be grateful
It’s another chance to see
that the one thing that’s important
Is still right inside of me
You can call me sentimental
I’m not sayin’ I’m in some zone
I’m just thankful for each morning
Staying safe and staying home
c. Crispin Thomas ~ isolation poem #3 23 April 2020
