For our second set of Poems of the Week, we have a poem reflecting on the current lockdown by Steve Halliwell.
The Cruel Equation
Lockdown, day fifteen, I have never felt better,
Three square meals, regular exercise,
Constant contact with friends and relatives,
The sky empty, the birds return,
The roads are safe, the earth gets a break,
In the park solitary walkers greet you like old friends,
A profound peace
Like a distant war in the days of Empire,
When our peacock excesses and raffish adventures
Were paid for somewhere by a rat-eaten soldier
And a bullet riddled foe,
Now a poorly-clad nurse fights for us
And a beloved uncle gasps for air.
By Steve Halliwell