Vigilant

Cherry

By skinner_jennifer

Fri, 27 Mar 2020
  • 2373 reads
14 comments
 

A dear diary poem started on Tuesday 24th March 2020 

reminder of the times we are now living in.

 

 

Poets flame flickers at this inevitable hour,

scattered pages of endless burbling; if this

was nature...imagine no nectar as bees flit

from flower to flower.

 

Gone busy shoppers eyeing black Friday bargains,

grabbing before consumer tide goes out, now they

sail on sunsets and sunrises. Watch the hoarders...

compare them to Greek myths, those old statues,

 

like frail chapped winter lips, Hesperides guard

the garden, our golden apples dwindling down

aisle after empty aisle, each shelf retired with an

epitaph of:- Here used to lie what you greatly desired.

 

In towns foxes cry out; “Where have all the humans gone?”

With bushy tails they raise their brows, gutted not to find

usual scraps, a morsel to depend on, now just an endless

row of desolate streets and vanishing mortals,

 

step into no daily reality as industry's crippled,

only silence keeps safe this presence traced,

a noiseless splendour of common sense until

we awaken to bear that memory.

Certificate U
Poem
Dear Diary
Opinion
Journal

Comments

Submitted by onemorething on

This is a stunning poem, Jenny. I love it. Beautifully and skilfully written. I hadn't thought about the foxes either, but I was thinking of the gulls in Bath; I just watched one looking baffled, 'bewildered of Bath' in an empty car park and I did imagine he was wondering where all the humans and their discards were. Love the touches of humour in this too, especially the epitaph. Hope you're getting back to full strength. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by celticman on

the foxes might ask not where have all the humans gone, but where's my diinner? had to look up Hesperidies, nymph and daughter of th evening light. well, if the description fits, stick it on, Jenny. keep safe. 

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Jen,

This is very good and inspired. You have been moved by the nation's sad plight to encapsulate what all this means. Excellent work, Jenny.

Hilary    angel

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I like the way you move from thinking of the grabbing of all those extra bargains before, to the grabbing of essentials now, but still with selfishness taking hold. If so much has been unnecessarily hoarded, maybe the foxes will find the pickings increasing again in the home streets' rubbish bins, as much gets just thrown away sadly. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Good poem! You have described the eerie atmosphere of empty shelves and empty streets of the current crisis perfectly.

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

To know that you think this poem is stunning Rachel is such a compliment. Funnily enough your thoughts on the gulls in Bath reminded me that I haven't fed the garden birds in quite a while. Being confined to staying in, I've run out, I'm sure they'll be okay, it's spring and there should be insects and worms around.

I'm a bit up and down at the moment, one minute I'm fine, then I start to get really hot and cold, it seems to be worse if I go out, but we did the weekly shop yesterday because we were running out of so much. I was surprised that there wasn't one tim of tomatoes or soup left, so I thinking of making some soup, but thankfully there's plenty of toilet paper.

Thank you for reading and glad you liked.

Jenny..

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jack,

I bet you're right about what the foxes were saying, especially around the big cities where there's so many eating places and takeaways., 

I'm glad you liked the Greek myth, I thought it added a  bit of...Um! Flavour to the poem.

Thank you for reading and letting me know you liked.

You keep safe too.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Hilary,

you know, most of my life I've kept a diary, it certainly makes good reading when you look back. This is one of those occasions that has touched us all in a way that we've never known, I just have to write down my feelings and if anything it has inspired me like many others.

I always appreciate your comments and I'm glad you were inspired.

Jenny.

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

on our weekly shopping day yesterday, people seem to be buying up all the tins, we couldn't find tins of anything hardly except baked beans. All the pasta has gone and all the jars of bolognaise sauces. We managed to get the last two loaves of bread...thankfully, as we were out of bread.

It's crazy like you say that people are hoarding food. But maybe now there's a rule of only being able to buy two of any item, they'll be able to start filling up the shelves again.

It's certainly a strange atmosphere in the supermarkets, but I found the shopping a much more pleasant experience now there's less contact and people aren't blocking up the aisles talking to others.

Any way, thank you for reading and letting me know you liked.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi David,

thank you for your valued comment. It certainly is an eerie atmosphere that we've never experienced before. We live in such a fast paced world today, which is why it's taken everyone by surprise, I just wonder what normality will be like when the virus is under control.

Thank you again for your input and for reading.

Jenny. 

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Dear Editors,

thank you so much for the cherries, they're so appreciated especially at this time, so thank you again.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

What an interesting poem! Am so GLAD  I read it! Empty shelves like Greek statues! WOW! They ARE, I would  NEVER  have thought of that!

I have been worrying about all the town creatures too. Also the buskers and homeless, I hope the government helps them!//////////////////////////7/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////????/

Tina has walked over the keyboard :0)

I loved your comment that you put in Hesperides to add flavour, like your poem is a thought nourishing soup :0)

Please take care of yourself? Sounds like you are still a bit feverish, though great you were strong enough to brave shopping and make this wonderful poem!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hello Di,

I'm glad you liked that bit about the Greek statues, I was thinking about statues I'd once seen in a reclaimation yard some years back and decided they were what I needed for this poem. so I'm pleased it worked.

you know this virus is like being on a roller coaster, one minute I'm up, then I'm down, each time I go out makes me feel worse than ever too, it's that thick throat, aching body and bad stomach feeling. My sleeping patterns are all over the place too. I really hope you and yours stay well, just keep isolating and you should be okay.

Any way, thank you for reading and your thoughts. By the way give Tina a big hug from me. wink

Jenny. 

 

 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I liked all of it :0) I had the images in my head when I went to sleep, it was great! You put a whole new vibe on the shopping experience, it's a BEAUTIFUL  poem. You must be so strong to be fighting this virus off, well done!