after Philip Larkin

Never again such crowds

shouldering such exultation,

no more the sea lion choir

hauled up on the stands.

The stadia and arenas

silent like grief,

the sun quenched in remembrance 

of a million flowering hands.

And shutters on the High Street

tight against the abyss,

the weekend staff furloughed,

the checkout bleepers schtum.

The h...

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We all long for when restrictions end.
Times have been tough but we're on the mend.
Our freedom - it cannot come too soon.
Now together we may sing a joyful tune.

Life for us all must now improve.
For face masks we may soon remove.
And there's something for which many yearn,
That's for nightclubs and discos to return.

Social distancing will be abolished,
And the metre rule is to be de...

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WORLD IN LOCKDOWN

A patchwork-style poem written by the people of Merseyside during England's first Coronavirus lockdown 2020

Curated by Barry Woods

Assisted by Michelle Wright

(c) Copyright contributors 2020 (listed at the end)

World in Lockdown

We're earning o...

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You've already left.

537 miles North of me, of us.

I'll ruffle up to join you in four (agonising) weeks 

but to my unconcerned shame, 

I'm too sad to sleep in that bed without you, too ungoverned.

Nostalgia, even the warm kind, is too much feeling for me.

Something about it has always made my lipids curdle 

and an unpleasant tickle cloud in my brain.

The street ou...

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Quick scribble. I just want to be the squirrel in the tree outside my window today. I've had enough. 

Up and down the Ash trees,

Round and round they go,

Unaware, oblivious,

Of these troubles that we know,

No Coronavirus seeping,

Through their very roots,

Dampening their daily walks,

Or tarnishing their fruits,

No handwashing,

Isolating,

Searing, hurting longi...

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The World fell silent,

Sombre air began to fill the streets, 

There came an end to social meets.

No more dining and no more celebrations.

Hospital wards filled with a new enemy.

Masks, gloves and sanitation,

Echoed through the news,

Leaving a trail of gloomy blues.

Families gathered for the 5pm broadcast,

Rising death rates leaving them aghast.

But a ray of ...

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Sometimes we yearn for company.
Sometimes we must be alone.
We may like to vent our problems,
Or fix them on our own.

And if we are handed puzzles
How do we find solutions?
Should we do it by ourselves, 
Or with help and contributions?

And when we feel sad or down
We often just ruminate,
But should we take comfort in others
To get us back to feeling great?

Though when we're feeli...

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Just the right amount of squeeze 

at my hip

of a lemon 

on the pasta we craft for each other

of the sponge he knows I don’t like to touch when wet.

A tongue, a croissant, a bottom smack, 

exactly when we wanted one

A well-timed tease, balletically treading that tightrope line 

from this now, to the next, to the next to the next please

Moments studded above our ...

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A dumb waiter

Waiting for it to end

Again

Not so much a

Homecoming

But a home staying

The betrayal of

New year celebration

Here in the room

Consuming thoughts

Of the old times

Slight ache in heart

The caretaker of memories

In this No man's land

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Facebook is full of futility;
pandemic emotional ping pong
vapid mini Directors spouting “truth”
proving a point to the other side

The class divide is dividing us,
fuelled by media-driven Morgans 
who needs to create division to thrive
pointless pricks with absent minds
Propaganda piloted, spoon-feeding 

Humans walk past Joe the homeless, 
humming on their way into work
happily stil...

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