How to Survive a Pandemic

27/06/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation

It has come to my attention

That some people just don’t know

How to survive a pandemic

So here it is, blow by blow.

 

Stay inside your house.

It’s really very easy.

You avoid most of the germs in there

And don’t end up all queasy.

 

If you need to do the groceries

There are two ways to do this task.

Get it home delivered or,

When going out, wear a mask.

 

Wash your hands regularly

And sanitise everything you touch

It might seem overwhelming

But it’s really not that much.

 

Don’t hug or kiss or even high five

When friends you chance to meet.

Wave or bump your elbows,

Or simply tap feet to feet.

 

Don’t gather in large groups

Especially in small spaces;

Keep your distance from each other,

Maintain at least three paces.

 

Get your restaurant meals delivered

To help them through this mess

But don’t forget to wipe the packaging

It will help to spread it less.

 

If you can arrange it with your employer

Working from home’s a great idea,

With teleconferencing taking off

Just remember to hide the beer.

 

It may seem very stressful

To have the kids home-schooling, too,

But everyone is in the same boat

And it’s never only you.

 

If you’re deemed to be essential

And have to go to work

Be mindful of those around you

And don’t act like a jerk.

 

Your colleagues want to do what’s right

To keep the community safe and sound.

We all need to do our bit

To stop this virus getting round.

 

Be kind to yourself right now,

The whole world is upside down.

It’s ok to have a day (a week!)

When you can’t manage but a frown.

 

It’s hard to be apart from loved ones

Especially in times this tough,

When you can’t attend weddings or birthdays,

And funerals from afar are rough.

 

Not being allowed at the bedside,

Not being allowed to say goodbye,

Means closure is never granted

And you can’t halt the tears you cry.

 

The best you can do is continue,

To carry on in spite of it all,

Because whatever we do isn’t perfect

And no one knows who will fall.

 

But continuing doesn’t mean ignoring,

We can’t just make it all disappear.

When we open our eyes it’s still present

And it’s hard to not live in fear.

 

That fear can keep us all safe,

As long as we don’t let it take control.

Knowing our internal boundaries

Will keep our mind on the goal.

 

All those things that you’ve been missing,

Like sports and social things,

Will still be there afterwards –

We know what the future brings.

 

If you’re stood down from your work

And the money won’t stretch very far,

Don’t worry that you let things go

Or how low you set the bar.

 

You don’t need to write a novel

Or learn a circus act

As long as you’re taking care of you

And that’s a goddamn fact.

 

When things start to open up

Don’t rejoice to much at first,

We don’t want a second wave

And feel again like we’ve been cursed.

 

Take it slowly when going out,

Keep that distance going strong,

And we’ll be through the worst of it

Before very long.

 

If your government is being slack

About putting measurements in place

Then take it upon yourself to learn

What to do to win this race.

 

It can be difficult to look around

And see other countries do so well

But you can what you need to do

To help the numbers not to swell.

 

If you listen to the experts

You’ll certainly minimise the chance

Of picking up or spreading it

While sitting at home with no pants.

 

When symptoms come upon you

Isolate yourself at home

And don’t let another soul

In your bubble or your dome.

 

If you need to attend the hospital

Don’t spread it as you go.

Wear your mask over your mouth and nose

To protect even your greatest foe.

 

These times are the hardest

That many of us have known

It’s completely changed how we live

And it can be easy to bitch and moan.

 

But we’re not being asked to go to war

We’re being asked to sit on the couch

And watch the TV all day long,

To act just like a slouch.

 

So, put on your comfy pyjamas,

Pick up that book you planned to read

But never had the time to start

Because you always had a deadline to heed.

 

Learn how to cook a meal

(I hear sour dough is all the rage)

Or start a new online course

With which you can engage.

 

And if none of that takes your fancy

Just do what makes you happy,

Even if it’s not exciting

And others think it’s sappy.

 

So, while my advice might seem simple

And not perfect by any means,

It will help you battle on

Between the interminable cleans.

 

And, yes, we will see cases

Including those we know and love

But we can reduce the likelihood

And we can rise above.

 

For me, I have been writing,

Including the words upon this page

While I have been off from work

And not drawing my usual wage.

 

In a perfect world I would not return

To my life as it was before

Because I have enjoyed the shutdown

And haven’t found it a bore.

 

But I hope you all find your inner peace

And can cope with these harsh times

Which have hit some harder than others

Without any reasons or rhymes.

 

And if you need a friendly ear to listen,

Please reach out if you can.

We are all in this together,

Every woman, child and man.

Radio

26/06/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation

 

Late at night, when the dark surrounds

And the shadows overwhelm,

I know that you’re there with me –

A voice calling from the void.

 

You fill my mind with pictures,

With ideas previously beyond my grasp,

Using your words to convey

A concept I didn’t know I needed.

 

You distract me from my worries

That threaten to derail my life

And I’m forever thankful

For your wisdom and your words.

 

I sleep easier for having listened

To the lessons you have taught,

My mind a calmer place for me

And my heart more settled in my chest.

 

I am so drawn in by the notions

You put forward for me to hear

Even though I’m half a world away

And you don’t know I exist at all.

Instagram Wall

25/06/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation

 

You showed me your Instagram page –

Full of selfies and pictures of you with mates

With your shirt off whatever the weather,

Showing off your washboard abs

And a tan that can’t be healthy –

As if it was supposed to impress me.

 

Your friend noticed my waning interest

But I feared he was just like you –

A vacuous, self-absorbed wannabe

Who couldn’t hold a conversation

Beyond your latest workout routine –

But I was pleasantly proven wrong.

 

His wall was filled with pictures

Of sunrises, trees and birds –

A nature lover at heart

With a keen eye for detail –

And we talked for hours

About nature and the meaning of life.

 

You could learn a thing or two from him

About how to win over a girl’s heart –

By the sharing of a passion,

And talking to them instead of at –

And I hope these words inspire you

To expand the focus of your obsession.

Lessons from Maths Class

24/06/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation

There is nothing more pleasing

Than the idea of learning

And taking that knowledge from one area

And applying it somewhere else.

 

And though it may seem strange

For the lessons from mathematics

To be entwined with english,

It is inextricably linked.

 

The formulas themselves remain

Largely in the domain of maths

But the processes by which they are born

Are embedded in the language we use.

 

The elegance of an equation

Might evoke a similar response

To that when viewing an artwork

Crafted by one of the masters.

 

Statistics might seem terribly dry

But its logic is unquestionable

And it influences the mind of the viewer

To see the world in a more analytical way.

 

So, while you mind may wander,

Do try to see the beauty and inspiration

That mathematics holds in its grasp

And pushes out into the world.

Ghostwriter

23/06/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation

 

Am I a fraud for not writing the words

That flow so easily from another’s pen?

The ideas are mine but come haphazard

And I need a wordsmith to craft the narrative

That seems to spring to life in their hands

While I can barely mould a sentence

That comes across as dry as chalk

Cold Water

22/06/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation

 

I dipped a toe,

Somewhat tentatively,

Into the clear blue

Bracing against the cold

That would travel

In waves

Up my body,

Tingling my spine –

Exhilarating yet

Harsh and abrupt –

To the point

Where I hesitate

Before diving in;

The icy stillness

Disturbed violently

By my submerging body,

Air pushed out

From lungs stung

By frozen embrace.

Street Signs

21/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

You know you’re comfortable with the route

When you don’t even look at the signs,

You get to your destination on autopilot

Driven without conscious thought.

But what happens when you must deviate,

When the route must be altered from the norm?

How well does your brain adapt to change

And guide you on this different path

To, perhaps, the same destination

But, maybe, to somewhere completely new?

I cannot reconcile the information

That I must use to modify my actions

With the well-worn behaviours

That have served me well until this point.

My heart beats faster as I search

And my breathing becomes shallow;

I can feel my palms sweating on the wheel

Steering me towards a destination

Along a road I have never seen before

And which I may never leave

As I feel my muscles tense and freeze

With every passing moment

Until I see a familiar sign

(A known street name a gift)

And air fills my lungs once more.

Note: This is the last of my Iso Well-Being Compilation poems. I will, however, be continuing with my poem a day for as long as have subjects to whet my appetite. I hope you've enjoyed my offering so far, and will continue to read and enjoy my work.

On the Field

20/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

Hey, black fella, do your trick.

Kick that ball like we know you can.

But don’t think for even one second

That what happens on this field of play

Allows you to be one of us

And don’t you dare to raise your voice,

We don’t want no uppity black man here.

 

Can you hear the rabid hatred burn

Deep in their heart of hearts?

They can’t bear to be told a truth

That others have known for so long.

 

We weep with sorrow, with grief, with rage

For too many honoured men cut down

By such tiny minds as they

Who cast dispersions based on melanin.

 

Winmar raised his shirt so proud

And pointed to his skin so brown

And in that one iconic frame

Became a saviour and the devil made.

 

His act, not so defiant, yet

A statement to those who would tear him down

That no one could see and then ignore

The devil that day wore skin of white.

 

But the story ends not with one man

And a jumper raised in silent protest

But continues on until this day

With no regard for fellow man.

 

Goodes by name, and deed as well,

Taunted by a merciless mob

Who saw not a member of the human race

But an ape, a beast, a soulless animal.

 

That none saw the horror then

Of seeing who had launched such bile

And none heard the calls from his own lips

For compassion for this uneducated child.

 

Driven from our fair game

By those who hide their face in the crowd

Until another takes their place

And bear the brunt of privileged hate.

 

Betts, the latest in a line too long,

Has born this vilification for too many years

And seen his pleas for equality

Fall at the feet of unfeeling yobs.

 

Though maybe now his words can be heard

When so many take a knee

To honour teammates past and present

Who wore the jumper just as they.

 

Three men of greater character

You could never hope to find

And so easily they could have folded

Into the shame we all must bear.

 

But to their everlasting credit

They won’t stand silent or play the part

Of a performing monkey in a cage

When, on the field, they are the best of men.

Stranger Conversations

19/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

If you want conversations with strangers

You need go no further than twitter.

You’ll find the strangest of people

Lurking about in its depths.

 

You’ll come across every opinion,

From the fanciful to the insane,

All jumbled up higgledy-piggledy

And jumping from thought to thought.

 

But in amongst the absolute crazies

Are the joyous friendships you find,

Snuggled in between the throw downs

Are the laughs and the emotional bonds.

 

I’ve cooed over new born babies,

Birthed by parents I’ve never met

Sharing the joys of new parenthood

Ans wishing them the best of luck.

 

I’ve cracked jokes with folks I don’t know,

Many of the mad as a hatter,

But never a cross word have we imparted

Though sometimes we disagree.

 

I’ve commiserated with fellow fans of my team

Who live on the other side of the world,

And though time zones and miles separate us,

We are a family born of blood.

 

I’ve flirted with anyone willing

And made a cheek blush on the way,

Even though we know it won’t go further

Than the end of fingers on keyboards.

 

And I have grieved with bereft people,

Shed many more than the odd tear,

Because, in the end, we aren’t really strangers

But fellow humans in need of love.

 

Though you’ll never meet a stranger community

Than that which lives in your phone,

You’ll surprise yourself over and over

With how real the loss is when they leave.

Misfit

18/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I don’t fit in anywhere

And I don’t think I ever will.

I’m not like you in any regard

And I don’t want to be.

 

I know that people aren’t like me

I know they prefer others company

But I’m happy in my little bubble

Though it’s taken a while to get there.

 

I don’t fit in at work,

Where I have always felt other.

I don’t like the enforced social gatherings

Or team building exercises.

 

All I want to do, when walking in the door,

I do my job as best I can

Then leave that world behind me

When my shift comes to a close.

 

I didn’t fit in at mothers’ group

Where I was much younger that the clique.

They’re Stepford uniformity and in-jokes

Did nothing to put me at ease.

 

I’ve tried to be engaging,

To be interested in your lives,

But they all seem so the same to me –

All cut from the same mould.

 

I don’t fit in at hobby groups

Because I’m not the social sort.

I want to be recognised for achievement,

Not win any popularity contest.

 

I’ve always put my hand up

For the things that others won’t do.

Stepped outside my comfort zone

And been prepared to take that risk.

 

I didn’t fit in at school

Where I always felt isolated.

I was the one not invited to the parties

Or picked last to partner in class.

 

As the years went on, I realised

This was not the place for me.

But there was nowhere else I could go

To escape the taunts and ridicule.

 

I don’t fit in at the local pubs

Where I’m too shy to talk to anyone.

Too many years of rejection

Absolutely takes its toll.

 

It was much the same story at nightclubs

Where no one wanted to dance with me.

I would get lost in the music, instead,

But you looked at me like I’m a freak.

 

I didn’t fit in with sports groups

Where I was always the mother hen.

Unable to relate to people my age

Because I was so used to adult company.

 

I never wanted or expected adulation

For a talent that was mediocre, at best,

But simply recognition for all the effort

That I had put in.

 

I don’t fit in anywhere

And I’m ok with that.

I’d rather be my own person

Than just like everyone else.

 

Show me, where’s your uniqueness hidden?

Where’s your passion, your emotional side?

Where’s your sympathy, your empathy

And your human understanding?

The Rainbow

17/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I want to sense the rainbow –

To know it’s there before all my other senses,

To feel it vibrate through me like dark matter,

And to explode into the beautiful spectrum it is.

 

I want to see the rainbow –

On every street corner and country lane,

On every train and bus and taxi I pass,

And in every eye with which I make contact.

 

I want to release the rainbow –

From the commercialisation of businesses,

From the hypocrisy of governments,

And from the abuse of homophobes.

 

I want to hear the rainbow –

In every voice that speaks to truth and love,

In every note of every song sung,

And in every solitary, silent moment.

 

I want to be allied with the rainbow –

That no one should live in fear,

That everyone should be accepted,

And that love really does mean love.

 

I want to touch the rainbow –

When a child holds its parent’s hand,

When a friend offers a warm embrace,

And when a team mate celebrates a victory.

 

I want to know the rainbow –

Is a symbol of unity and community,

Is celebrated as a sign of hope,

And is there even when I can’t see it.

 

I want to smell the rainbow –

In every subtle hint of perfume,

In every pheromone you exude,

And in every florist that I walk by.

 

I want to spread the rainbow –

From Serpents in the dreamtime,

From a promise by a deity,

And from a revolution against hate.

 

I want to taste the rainbow –

In every cake baked on a summer’s day,

In every home hooked meal on the stove,

And on the skin of every cheek I kiss.

 

I want to be the rainbow –

With every action I take in this world,

With every word that spills from my lips,

And with every friend that I make.

My Grandma Kitchen

16/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

When I’m a magnificent grandma

I’d like to be the sort of person

Whose kitchen is always welcoming

And always full of food.

 

I’d like to imagine my children,

Grown with lives of their own,

Sitting around the table

Just like when they were young.

 

They’d talk about their work

As they used to talk about school,

Gossiping about the people there

And comparing notes as they go.

 

All of their partners would be welcome,

Regardless of gender or sexuality,

All loved and considered family,

Always with a stocking at Christmas.

 

The grandchildren would run amok

And fill the room with giggles and laughs,

Sneaking biscuits behind their parents back

And eating dessert before their main meal.

 

They’d lick beaters and mixing bowls

And fall asleep on the floor,

Or stay up long past bedtime

Watching a movie curled up in my lap.

 

Whether they shared my genetics or not,

They’d still get a story read to them at night

And get an extra little something at Easter

That’d get me a that look from their parent.

 

I’d invite my friends in for lunch

That somehow turns into dinner

And we drink into the wee hours

Reminiscing about our misspent youth.

 

We’d cover the table with photos

And laugh ‘til we cried at our fashions,

With clothes we wouldn’t be seen dead in

But will no doubt come back into style.

 

We’d ooh and aah over pictures

Of each other’s families we have on our phones

Saying how it feels like it was just yesterday

That our own precious children were that small.

 

And though life is never perfect,

(There’d be so many ups and downs)

I’d like to imagine the good times

Far outweighed the bad.

 

So, I hope my grandma kitchen

Is just like the one I knew as a child –

Filled with love and, occasionally, chaos

And the smell of a home cooked meal.

7 Days, 7 Lines

15/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

On Monday I checked my emails

On Tuesday I had a video conference

On Wednesday I did the groceries

On Thursday I ordered take out

On Friday I did a course

On Saturday I read a book

On Sunday I prepared to do it all again

The Untouchable Elements

14/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

Never mind that lovely blue glow,

You’d do best to stay well clear

Of the element known as Polonium –

It is one you should definitely fear.

It may not penetrate your skin

But can kill you just the same,

You might ingest this little nasty

Never knowing from whence it came.

A single gram of this deadly element

Could kill 10 million people or so

But you’re unlikely to come across it

Unless you have a government agent as a foe.

 

For those of you who are old enough

Mercury thermometers to recall

You will also remember the danger

Should one accidently fall.

              Able to be absorbed through skin

              Damaging organ after vital organ

Its effects are simply staggering

              And before too long you’re done.

But just as horrifyingly dangerous

Is consuming organic mercury,

Poisoning yourself without knowing

Because the element, you can’t see.

 

In Victorian times, the poison of choice

Left the victim smelling somewhat of garlic

But trying it now would have you caught easily

And the law thinking you were a bit thick.

              The greatest danger to humans today

              Is from contaminated drinking sources

              Where wells are drilled into aquifers

              That have arsenic-rich water courses.

The death from this baddy is slow,

With low doses having a cumulative effect,

And cancer being a health risk,

Groundwater should always be checked.

 

There are lots very safe elements

But Francium is not one of those

And being an alkali metal

You should keep it far from a hose.

              Its radioactivity makes it a hazard

              But It’s reaction to water’s a blast

              Just like it’s little friend Cesium

              But it’s energy more violently cast.

Luckily, it’s incredibly rare,

And you’d not want to hold it in your bare hand

Because it would react with the water therein,

Making a hospital much in demand.

 

Of course, there are many more elements

Which I could have added to this very short list

But these are, perhaps, my favourites

And I’ll not have my list dissed.

              If you’re dangerous element of choice

              Has been omitted from this page

              I recommend you write your own poem

              And let your creativity out of its cage.

But be wary, my friend, when you write

Not to be so very hands on

With the elements you choose for discussion

Lest you don’t finish before you are gone.

Admiration

13/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

There are lots of people I admire,

Great people one and all,

But when it came time

To write this little poem

I found that I could not choose

Which one to write about.

 

I felt I would not do them justice,

Their deeds etched in history books;

I could not even begin to tell

Their stories in such a way

That I would be satisfied

My words lived up to their name.

 

So, may these lines inspire you

To not think about those I admire

But instead reflect upon the greats

That you hold in such esteem

As to elicit undying admiration

And a place forever in your heart.

Superstition

12/06/2020 - Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I’m not a superstitious person,

But you’d be surprised at how many

Have wormed their way into my life

Without any rhyme or reason.

 

I won’t open an umbrella inside

But purely for safety reasons.

I wouldn’t want to take an eye out

Or shake water all over the floor.

 

I don’t walk under ladders

Unless I absolutely can’t avoid it,

More out of a fear, I think,

Of something being dropped on my head.

 

I’ve said on more than one occasion

For people to be careful around mirrors

Or they’ll get seven years bad luck

But they’re more likely to just cut themselves.

 

How often has someone mentioned a disaster

And you’ve replied with the standing line,

“Knock on wood it doesn’t happen”

And you knock on your head instead?

 

I have a few horseshoes I’ve been given

That freak me out if they fall over.

They have to be open side up at all times

Or all the good luck will fall out.

 

As the craziest of crazy cat ladies

I’m not afraid of black cats in the least,

If one crosses my path I’m not scared,

I’m more likely to want to give it a pat.

 

I am, however, overjoyed to find

A four-leaf clover when out for a walk

Not because I think it’s good luck

But I don’t see them all that often.

 

I’ll also make a wish on a shooting star

Not that I’ll think it’ll come true.

It is the epitome of wishful thinking

That my wish can change the universe.

 

I sometimes hold my breath, even now,

When passing a cemetery, no matter how big.

But on those occasions when I didn’t,

I don’t think I inhaled a single soul.

 

I couldn’t even hazard a guess

At the number of coins I thrown in fountains

Casting my wish to the water gods

After appeasing them with shiny gifts.

 

I maybe won’t let my husband to be

Catch a glimpse of me before the wedding,

But probably because I’ll be too busy

Getting dressed, and having my hair done.

 

Lastly, thirteen has never been unlucky

Unless you’re a Norse god called Balder

And just to prove my unsuperstitious point,

This poem has thirteen stanzas.

Wrong

11/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I thought maybe I was in the wrong,

But I wasn’t.

Well, not for the reason I imagined.

 

You treated me like shit

All along

And I thought that was my fault.

 

I didn’t want to see the bad in you,

Blinded myself,

But you showed your true colours tonight.

 

Your fragile little ego couldn’t handle it

When I said,

“Fuck off with your false equivalence.”

 

Afterall, you’d just brought up the Nazi’s –

Godwin’s law –

In a conversation about slavery in a movie.

 

I suppose I did open the door for it, though,

When I said,

“History is mostly written by the victors”

 

And you came back with the inevitable line,

So predictable,

“Oh, so the Nazi’s weren’t so bad.”

 

Your underlying racism had been bothering me.

I knew.

The friendship was always going to run aground.

 

I should have listened to my gut from the start

But I didn’t,

I told myself that I imagined all that stuff.

 

The ten plus years that you pursued me,

Despite protestations,

Should have told me not to trust you.

 

I wanted to be with you so much but

Not like that,

Not while you were still married.

 

When you divorced you spun your story,

Narcissistic lies,

And I bought it hook, line and sinker.

 

But you couldn’t give me what I wanted

And never would,

And the romance that never was faded.

 

I should have ended it then and there,

But I didn’t,

Because I thought you needed my friendship.

 

You made me believe your sob story

(Shame one me)

Because it was my own sob story, too.

 

I wanted to save you and change you,

And myself,

But you don’t have anything worth saving.

 

I also didn’t want to be alone in life,

Forever,

And I’d have settled for less than mediocre.

 

But then I met someone who filled the void,

Who wasn’t you,

And the light started to dawn on me.

 

You weren’t nearly good enough for me

And I saw

In him everything that you were not.

 

I saw a caring, compassionate person,

Considerate,

And comfortable in their own skin.

 

Sure, they weren’t perfect by any means –

No one is –

But they didn’t need to be when by my side.

 

I wonder how long it will be until you fold,

Come crawling back

Full of false apologies and fake remorse.

 

I’m not sorry for anything I said to you,

Not one bit,

And I have finally woken up to myself.

 

All those times you pressed my buttons

Just to see

What kind of reaction you’d get out of me.

 

Did no one ever tell you not to poke a bear?

Not once?

Well, you poked this bear one too many times.

 

One day I will learn to forgive myself –

Not today –

But I will never forget the lesson you taught me.

The Intimacy of Small Things

10/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I don’t miss the way you’d leave the towels

In a pile on the floor after you’d had a shower

And I had to put them back on the towel rail

So they would actually dry off again.

 

I do miss the way you’d shimmer and shine

When you stepped out of the shower

All drippy and covered in goose bumps

From the cold, mid-August night air.

 

I don’t miss the cheap flowers bought in haste

At the petrol station on the corner every year

Because you’d forgotten to plan ahead, again,

And you were already in the bad books.

 

I do miss the wrap around hugs of an evening

When I was trying to do the washing up

And you’d tell me about your day at work

Before planting a kiss on my cheek.

 

I don’t miss the constant disagreements

Over whether the toilet paper should sit

With the next sheet hanging over or under

When you knew I was clearly right.

 

I do miss the constant reminders you’d leave

Around the house before you left for your bus,

Written hastily on post it notes which half stuck,

That said, “I love you” or “I miss you already.”

 

I don’t miss the long hours at the hospital

Waiting for the myriad of tests to come back

And the rounds of treatment that you hated

Because they made you feel like a burden.

 

I do miss the sneaky smiles I’d catch you in

When you thought I wasn’t looking,

That made me break into a smile as well

And you’d ask me why I was smiling.

 

I don’t miss the snoring in my ear

When I was trying to read for five minutes

After not having a moment to myself all day

Then you claiming next morning you don’t snore.

 

I do miss lazy Sunday mornings spent in bed

After the kids were old enough, and trusted,

To get their own toast for breakfast

Without destroying every room they entered.

 

I don’t miss the beeping machines

Every night while you were in that bed

Hooked up to drips and ventilators

That kept your body ticking over.

 

I do miss your voice, with its slight lilt,

Promising you’ll remember next time

And it won’t happen again but I’d give anything

To find one more wet towel on the floor.

Holding my Breath

09/06/2020 - Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I used to think that people would change,

That they’d somehow see the light

And they’d wonder how they ever thought

As they once did.

 

I see reasonable seeming people

Hold the most bizarre beliefs possible

When it comes to politics or religion

Or just how to treat other folk.

 

It’s an uphill battle over the simplest of topics

Like treating people equally

When it comes to the colour of their skin

Or their sexuality or their gender.

 

Trying to have a civil conversation

About anything slightly controversial

And you turn into a modern-day Sisyphus

Rolling a very large stone up that hill.

 

So, now, I just state my piece

And get on with the rest of my day

Knowing that people don’t change

And there’s no point holding my breath.

432 Lines in Protest

08/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

432       Not one moment

431       Not one event

430       Not one person

429       Not one system

428       Not one state

427       Not one country

426       Not one cry

425       Not one march

424       Not one injustice

423       Not one death

 

422       Who will mourn?

421       Who will grieve?

420       Who will sacrifice?

419       Who will cry out?

418       Who will stand?

417       Who will remember?

416       Who will try?

415       Who will be strong?

414       Who will represent?

413       Who will be an ally?

 

412       Too many lives

411       Too many lies

410       Too often overlooked

409       Too cruel a punishment

408       Too harsh a sentence

407       Too quick to judge

406       Too slow to remember

405       Too hard to forget

404       Too long to suffer

403       Too much pain to bear

 

402       Our brothers   

401       Our sisters

400       Our mothers

399       Our fathers

398       Our aunts

397       Our uncles

396       Our nieces

395       Our nephews

394       Our cousins

393       Our children

 

392       What lessons unlearned?

391       What tragedies unavoided?

390       What souls lost?

389       What crimes unpunished?

388       What anguish felt?

387       What fear overwhelmed?

386       What dying wish?

385       What guilt undealt?

384       What laws broken?

383       What acts covered up?

 

382       So many dreams shatters

381       So many lives taken

380       So many promises unkept

379       So many hearts ripped out

378       So many last breathes

377       So many cries unheard

376       So many wasted years

375       So many chances to change

374       So many voices silenced

373       So many tears for the lost

 

372       Torn from family

371       Torn up inside

370       Torn from home

369       Torn in two

368       Torn from loving arms

367       Torn down in their prime

366       Torn from society

365       Torn apart

364       Torn form this life

363       Torn away

 

362       Never to be reunited 

361       Never to say goodbye              

360       Never treated with respect

359       Never losing heart

358       Never saying die

357       Never surrendering your humanity

356       Never giving in to injustice

355       Never losing sight of the prize

354       Never letting the sun go down

353       Never, ever again

 

352       When justice fails

351       When care breaks down

350       When compassion cuts out

349       When sympathy dies

348       When society crumbles

347       When tears fall

346       When mothers bury children

345       When help is not sought

344       When systems fail

343       When colour decides

 

342       Don’t be afraid

341       Don’t fear the fight

340       Don’t let walls divide us

339       Don’t lecture

338       Don’t preach

337       Don’t speak in place of them

336       Don’t be complacent

335       Don’t target

334       Don’t whitewash

333       Don’t project

 

332       We must correct our mistakes

331       We must learn from our past

330       We must be better allies

329       We must stand together as one

328       We must address the problems

327       We must care for the vulnerable

326       We must protect the innocent

325       We must walk side by side

324       We must not run and hide

323       We must remember their names

 

322       Does a life matter?

321       Does a law have meaning?

320       Does a death trouble us?

319       Does remembering count?

318       Does a leopard change its spots?

317       Does anything change?

316       Does what we do mean anything?

315       Does my voice carry weight?

314       Does what I do help?

313       Does equality exist?

 

312       Despite all that has happened

311       Despite each cry in anger

310       Despite every call for justice

309       Despite the thousands of voices

308       Despite the hundreds of years

307       Despite the inquiries

306       Despite all the promises made

305       Despite ongoing protests

304       Despite all the laws

303       Despite each mournful voice

 

302       Where are our priorities?

301       Where is our heart?

300       Where are the fail-safes?

299       Where is the justice?

298       Where can we turn?

297       Where was the oversight?

296       Where can we go?

295       Where do we draw the line?

294       Where is the humanity?

293       Where does it end?

 

292       Won’t our leaders lead?

291       Won’t they stand with their people?

290       Won’t we all join together?

289       Won’t our voices be heard?

288       Won’t we shine a light?

287       Won’t there be safety for all?

286       Won’t you show them compassion?

285       Won’t you live with the consequences?

284       Won’t you tear down the barriers?

283       Won’t justice be served?

 

282       You can’t have a bad day

281       You can’t keep lying

280       You can’t be the judge

279       You can’t be the jury

278       You can’t be the executioner

277       You can’t excuse it

276       You can’t sweep it under the rug

275       You can’t run away

274       You can’t turn your back

273       You can’t unsee

 

272       Are we complicit?

271       Are we good people?

270       Are we strong enough?

269       Are we empathetic?

268       Are we learning our lessons?

267       Are we improving the system?

266       Are we sympathetic?

265       Are we leading by example?

264       Are we doing what is right?

263       Are we compassionate?

 

262       Another media headline

261       Another soft apology

260       Another suspension without pay

259       Another case with no arrest

258       Another arrest with no conviction

257       Another failed family

256       Another community shattered

255       Another tragedy forecast

254       Another body in a bag

253       Another name on a list

 

252       Stop the deaths

251       Stop the torture

250       Stop the abuse

249       Stop the oppression

248       Stop the vilification

247       Stop the marginalisation

246       Stop the brutality

245       Stop the apathy

244       Stop the discrimination

243       Stop the corruption

 

242       Why can’t we see?

241       Why don’t we act?

240       Why don’t we fix the system?

239       Why can’t we live in peace?

238       Why isn’t there justice?

237       Why won’t anything change?

236       Why the faux outrage?

235       Why the meaningless politics?

234       Why aren’t promises kept?

233       Why does it keep happening?

 

232       I can’t breathe

231       I can’t move on

230       I can’t surrender

229       I can’t be silent

228       I can’t condone this

227       I can’t let it happen

226       I can’t stand on the sidelines

225       I can’t be that person

224       I can’t keep my head down

223       I can’t let this blow over

 

222       It’s systematic

221       It’s insidious

220       It’s vile

219       It’s hopeless

218       It’s immoral

217       It’s uncomfortable

216       It’s shocking

215       It’s contemptable

214       it’s unforgivable

213       It’s inhuman

 

212       They deserve more than candles

211       They are people like me

210       They shouldn’t have to fight

209       They just want equality

208       They were slaughtered by colonialists

207       They need to be heard

206       They were maligned by the government

205       They were here first

204       They should be respected

203       They shouldn’t die for no reason

 

202       Recognise your privilege

201       Recognise the disparity

200       Recognise their plight

199       Recognise the trauma

198       Recognise the culture

197       Recognise the racism

196       Recognise the institutionalism

195       Recognise the damage

194       Recognise the history

193       Recognise your part

 

192       Stand up for equality

191       Stand up and tip the scales

190       Stand up for our country

189       Stand up and be counted

188       Stand up for education

187       Stand up and bear witness

186       Stand up for what’s right

185       Stand up and be heard

184       Stand up when they call you

183       Stand up and fight

 

182       Look to the past

181       Look at what’s gone

180       Look around you

179       Look at who you support

178       Look in your own backyard

177       Look at your actions

176       Look for the signs

175       Look at what’s been taken

174       Look fear in the eye

173       Look at what’s been lost

 

172       How do we change?

171       How do we forgive?

170       How do we move on?

169       How do we exist?

168       How do we pay tribute?

167       How do we unite?

166       How do we make restitution?

165       How do we retell their stories?

164       How do we remember?

163       How do we run when we can’t crawl?

 

162       Be persistent

161       Be courageous

160       Be smart

159       Be conscious

158       Be aware

157       Be well read

156       Be resilient

155       Be proud

154       Be humble

153       Be as one

 

152       I’m at a loss

151       I’m ashamed

150       I’m saddened

149       I’m appalled

148       I’m grieving

147       I’m protesting

146       I’m overcome

154       I’m trying

144       I’m insignificant

143       I’m sorry

 

142       Hold your head high

141       Hold that mass, vicar

140       Hold on to each other

139       Hold open that door

138       Hold on to your courage

137       Hold on to your heritage

136       Hold that candlelight vigil

135       Hold up your banners

134       Hold leaders to account

133       Hold on to your prinicples

 

132       Face up to reality

131       Face your fears

130       Face the abuse head on

129       Face into the wind

128       Face the night bravely

127       Face the sun’s full force

126       Face the oncoming storm

125       Face your own demons

124       Face the harsh facts

123       Face up to your privilege

 

122       Hope for the future

121       Hope for justice, finally

120       Hope there is an end

119       Hope for a turning point

118       Hope is what we need

117       Hope for peace

116       Hope we can learn

115       Hope for change

114       Hope may bring us together

113       Hope above all else

 

112       Could I do more?

111       Could we fight a little harder

110       Could you try your best?

109       Could they use our help?

108       Could we make the world better?

107       Could there be a solution?

106       Could rise to the challenge?

105       Could you walk the walk?

104       Could we talk the talk?

103       Could it be that easy?

 

102       Raise your hand

101       Raise a flag

100       Raise your voice

99          Raise the roof

98         Raise the issues

97         Raise a glass

96         Raise others in victory

95         Raise spirits in defeat

94         Raise awareness all around you

93         Raise children without bias

 

92          Support those in need

91         Support those with no voice

90         Support all of humanity

89         Support justice for all

88         Support those who are fighting

87         Support with all your might

86         Support children without parents

85         Support parents without children

84         Support those who are grieving

83         Support what is right

 

82          Create a better world to live in

81         Create a safe place in your life

80         Create a scene in displeasure

79         Create beauty instead of hate

78         Create love where there was fear

77         Create a foundation of us

76         Create meaning not mayhem

75         Create shared victories

74         Create a collaboration

73         Create a future worth having

 

72          Welcome the different

71         Welcome colour and creed

70         Welcome all cultures

69         Welcome soulful pleas

68         Welcome freedom

67         Welcome triumph

66         Welcome knowledge of old

65         Welcome the dreamtime

64         Welcome new friends

63         Welcome to country

 

62          Would you spare a minute?

61         Would you take the time?

60         Would you open your mind?

59         Would you be one of the many?

58         Would you be left behind?

57         Would you fight for their freedom?

56         Would you give them a hand?

57         Would you accept their history?

54         Would you change your point of view?

53         Would you understand?

 

52          Hear the elders

51          Hear the children

50          Hear the downtrodden

49          Hear the neglected

48          Hear the wise

47          Hear the wounded

46          Hear the silenced

45          Hear the pain and the torment

44          Hear the last words

43          Hear the war cries

 

42          Donate your time

41         Donate your energy

40         Donate you will

39         Donate your brain power

38         Donate spare coins

37         Donate your words

36         Donate your privilege

35         Donate your expertise

34         Donate your voice

33         Donate what you can

 

32          This is who we are

31          This is what we become

30          This is what we allow

29          This is our legacy

28          This is why we fight

27          This is a nation divided

26          This is us on the brink

25          This is choosing our path

24          This is not good enough

23          This is everything

 

22          Light a candle for the fallen

21         Light a torch to see the way

20         Light the night for your sisters

19         Light the way for your brothers

18         Light a path for the weary

17         Light your heart with love

16         Light up the injustices

15         Light the fuse for a better tomorrow

14         Light a fire under the recalcitrant

13         Light dawns on a new day

 

12          Because we are complacent

11          Because it’s too hard

10          Because we don’t use our privilege

9            Because we haven’t learned

8            Because it doesn’t affect us

7            Because maybe we can grow

6            Because we are in this together

5            Because no one is perfect

4            Because we have to do better

3            Because we have no excuse

 

2            Is there anybody listening?

1            Is there anybody here?