~
chapter I: lockdown
my heart beats behind the windowsill
quiet, muffled, unheard
my eyes alight upon the clouds, and soar above the trees
free, yet trapped
seeing, without feeling the
breeze upon my face
the air against my glasses
the grass beneath my feet
~
chapter II: emergence
my heart beats beneath a swell of sound
stampeding feet echoing, a cacophony of beeps and
screams and chatter and the
rustle of plastic bags
my eyes swerve from shelf to shelf,
free, yet trapped amidst a swirl of bodies
masked but unmasked in their fear and anxiety
suffocating moisture welling up like tears
~
chapter III: return
swaying home with the weight of countless panic buys
and rote unpacking, fear of lingering
cool sting of disinfectant, and
sharp swell of bleach, billowing like a curtain
no dawdling in the hall, bustle, the panic wavering down
but the worry remains, uncertain, hesitant, weary.
~
chapter IV: blue fatigue
senseless, yet overwhelmed with feeling
deprived of contact, contact-less with the world
staring, tears welling into the endless brightness of a screen
glaring, awkward Zoom meetings hushed with silence
a longing for a better time, unknowing of the future.
