A Lyrical Life in Lockdown

On 22nd March 2020, when it became clear that a coronavirus (Covid-19) was spreading across the UK, my husband, Jack, and I went into lockdown, determined to remain shielding for as long as it took, not only to avoid falling foul of the virus ourselves but also being mindful that in order to overcome this curse, we all needed to respect the health and safety of everyone else. On 23rd March 2020 the Prime Minister, Boris Johnston, announced the first national lockdown in the UK, ordering people to 'stay at home.' Conscious that for a while we would be unable to meet with our friends, I wrote a short poem and tentatively emailed it to a number of the people with whom I wanted to stay in touch, asking whether they would like to be one of my 'Poetry Pals.' I explained my idea was that, in a light-hearted way, from time to time I would let them know how we were doing by sending short poems, which could embrace passing events. I was delighted to learn that my suggestion was well received! It didn't occur to me for a moment that I would be writing for 16 months. My background is in science and I had no knowledge of the rules of poetry writing. I just wrote whatever popped into my head as the days went on. In late April 2020, I watched an attractive snail climb the wall of our house and he (MacSnail) proved to be so popular that his experience of lockdown became a regular fantasy element within some of the poems. As the time progressed, I continually wondered when and how would be the right time to hang up my pen. I finally decided I would do so when the last stage of the Government's publicised roadmap out of lockdown was reached on 19th July 2021. A number of my friends suggested I publish the poems as a record of the time from the outset of the pandemic until the end of lockdown, as experienced by ordinary people. So here is the result. I hope that anyone who reads the poems enjoys them in the spirit in which they were written and that they will bring back positive memories and a reminder of the strength of our human spirit!