There is obviously much acute sadness across the world as a direct result of the pandemic, but I'm sure you'd rather not read more depressing details of all that here. Therefore my poem for the week - when you get there - tries to give a slightly different sense of where we are, leaving the morbid aspect to one side. To help lighten proceedings, I've invoked the assistance of the chorus from Greek theatre to represent the compassionate consciousness of the hive mind of planet Earth 2020.
Before we head there though, and in keeping with the this week's topic, I probably ought to say a few general words on theme.
One of the features of social media (Facebook in particular) in recent weeks has been the runaway proliferation of 'list' posts. Everyone is doing them: 'Ten records that have shaped your musical tastes', 'Ten things everybody likes, but you hate', 'Ten gigs you've been to but one is a lie - guess which', 'Ten best books you've ever read', 'Ten favourite places you've been on holiday' and so forth. With that in mind, and because I cannot honestly cite any one outstanding candidate to claim the title of undisputed saddest thing, I thought I'd post a covid-free 'Ten...' list of my own on today's blog.
These instances are not in order of importance, because as I said, I struggle to pinpoint the saddest. They may well be in chronological order. They have all taken deep and lasting root in my memory because of the psychic impact they made at the time they happened, some from a very early age. If it comes over like a piece of poetry, that's serendipity ;-) The poem proper comes afterwards.
Ten Things -
Seeing my Mother cry and not knowing why
Realising that one day I was going to die
When my guinea-pig got munched by a cat
The day the beautiful TSR-2 got scrapped
When I first saw bullying close at hand
The Beatles announcing the end of the band
My first 'live together' love affair falling apart
Choosing 'earning a living' rather than art
The breaking of hearts (sometimes my bad)
Losing my parents (inevitable but sad)
You may question, having read that little lot, my sense of priorities! However, I can only tell it as it was. And so to this latest offering from the imaginarium, informed by the extraordinary events of our year to date. I'm not sure if it's the definitive take. It may be a work-in-progress. The start and finish are fixed but the structure is capable of accepting other verses/choruses en route if they occur to me...
World On Hold
what pestilence is this that brings
great nations to their knees?
contagion from the twinkling
wings of the nocturnal ones
and their fear grew greater
as their news feeds got scarier
strange words are suddenly in
vogue on every tongue
disease pandemic plague
covid-19 lockdown
and their hair grew longer
and their clothes got dirtier
a whole planet in quarantine
puts its old life on hold
stays indoors does what it's told
binges on wine box sets
and their waistlines grew broader
as their fridges got busier
no schools no work no travel
no face to face instead
communities of aether
meet on a virtual level
and their cars grew rusty
and their children got wilder
economies in crisis
logistics under strain
giving oil not brides away
privation boredom pain
and their houses grew smaller
and their dreams got sexier
our sense of what's important
gradually shifting
the weight of never making
any difference lifting
and their applause grew prouder
as the sirens got louder
air becomes less polluted
wildlife makes a comeback
balance is being restored
rainbows fill our windows
and their greens grew beautiful
and their blues got less
one day we'll stand on our stoops
not this time to applaud
but to launch out on the tide
of a finer world order
and their minds grew clearer
and their lives got saner...
Thanks for reading. Have a good week everyone. Stay positive and keep safe, S ;-)
39 comments:
I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry at some of that. It's very entertaining to read and the poem is lovely.
I wouldn't dream of questioning your sense of priorities (LOL). Your list of sad things is personal and poignant. I think the poem is really clever and there are some great lines: wine box sets, communities of aether, giving oil not brides away, not to mention all the hilarious observations by the chorus - a neat device. Reading this left me feeling quite upbeat. Thank you.
Very good Steve.
Excellent. I love how the pictures echo each other and the poem is brill. Well done.
Your ten things made me feel sad, your poem made me feel positive about all this. If that was what you intended, job (nicely) done.
I like your idea for the poem. I enjoyed that. Hope you're keeping well.
I love the new poem :)
World On Hold - what a poem, well observed, witty, wonderfully compassionate and optimistic. Well done, Steve. Here's hoping. 🌈
I love the poem Steve. Some of those 'chorus' observations are priceless. I like especially - and their fridges got busier, and their houses grew smaller, and their dreams got sexier - all true!!! Plus the verse with the line "giving oil not brides away"... brilliant. Such economy of thought and expression. Bravo.
Well buddy, seems like your government is fucking this Covid-19 thing up near as bad as mine! It's highlighting not only current incompetence but years of dismantling social provisions. You know all this crap, I don't need to tell you. I'm just feeling angry tonight! I loved your blog - hardly sad at all. Rock on Steve.
Ten Things IS a poem, la! :)
That's really good Steve. 👍
Some of what you wrote was very moving. Thank you.
Class that, saddo (LOL). When do we get our club back again Steve?
Loved your poem, spot on.
Thanks for sharing Steve. Bits of your poem worked really well for me. The chorus concept is great and those observations capture our transformation well. I thought many of the verses were excellent too though "online being the new norm" doesn't strike these ears as quite right. As for the transformation at the end, possibly a little glib? I don't know. It seems a bit harsh to criticise when I haven't managed to come up with anything half as good myself!
I believe I've been to the brink and come back. Don't want to talk about it, just happy to be here. I'm pleaesed to read you're still blogging Steve because I get the impression the UK really fucked up on this. So I'm standing on my stoop figuratively waiting to embrace the new world!
Great blog. I really enjoyed that. Not really sad at all. As a resume of life under lockdown it's apposite (and amusing). I won't hold my breath (so to speak) waiting for a new world order but surely some things will change for the better as a result of what we're going through.
At least your Ten Things list is honest. All credit to you for being more open than I'd ever be prepared to be - and I really like your World On Hold poem. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoyed your blog as ever Steve. Well done for managing minimal sad content! (LOL) I thought the use of the chorus in your poem was inspired and the photo of the Greek chorus is mesmerising. Loved it all.
Love that poem! Something's got to change for the better. 🌈
How very well observed and rendered - I thought that was great.
I don't know about saddest thing but what struck me as the strangest thing was when I read your list of ten sad things I can honestly say seven of those might well be on my own list. I suppose you've tapped into some sense of universality there. (I never had a guina-pig but I did mourn the scrapping of TSR-2!) As for the poem, I guess you must know it's pretty good. Thanks for another intriguing and entertaining blog.
Agree with other commentators - a most entertaining read. Thank you.
I'm impressed, both with the poem that isn't and the poem that is. Bravo Steve.
Well said Mr. R - a fine poem.
I enjoyed your (supposedly) Sad blog - love the poem and like the way you go for unusual words e.g. pestilence, aether, stoops. 👍
Very well put together, an excellent read.
Loved your World On Hold poem, Steve,poignant and cleverly done. Also those illustrations, powerful images. I hope all is good in the jewel of the north.
I thought your poem was great but I'm seriously hoping that Johnson and his odious Cummings won't be part of that new world order or bang goes any chance of our lives getting better!
That's lockdown to a T. Well done. Fingers crossed for that change for the better - won't happen if Boris and the Dominator have their evil way though.
It's stating the obvious to say that these are difficult times. I've read so many pandemic poems you kind of glaze over (terrible though that sounds) and yet here you've brought an originality to the form and a deftness of touch that both recognises the bad stuff while detailing the funny stuff. The way it's shaping right now, your positive ending might be a bit beyond the realms of the likely, but it's good to have that vision. Well done and thank you.
That's how it is! (LOL) Love the poem.
Love the poem and the clever chorus bits. Well done. 👍
I like the inventiveness of your writing. As you say, not really about sadness this. The chorus picture and the chorus poem are fabulous.
That's very funny and so accurate too :)
It would appear the cycle is repeating itself. I guess we never made that last step to a finer world order. But is that so surprising with BoJo and Cummings leading the way?
That's a remarkably apt reflection on the first wave of Covid and the national lockdown. I'm not sure the second wave will have quite the novelty value or be treated with the same humorous indulgence. It's going to get ugly.
That Greek Chorus (?) picture is priceless, surely how we all feel once again at the moment.
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