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POETRY IN THE PLAGUE YEAR
Poems written during the Coronavirus Outbreak 2020
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John D Robinson Hastings East Sussex UK John D Robinson
is a UK poet: hundreds of his poems have appeared
online and in print: he has published several chapbooks and a
handful of full collections: 'Red Dance' was recently published by
'Uncollected Press' USA: a poem has recently appeared in 'The Ragged
Lion Press' Journal #2: he was nominated for a 2019/2020 Pushcart
Prize. Poem completed 17th April 2020 ITALY: COVID-19: STORY He walked into the supermarket and filled the hand-basket with food and then queued, keeping to the social-distancing guidance: at the checkout he explained that he had no money to pay for the food but he and his family needed the food: he was not threatening or aggressive in any way, pitiful, humble, even pathetic: security was called and he was escorted out of the store empty handed: what the would you have done? this is a tough one but I’m soft so possibly would have said to the guy look, come back in 3 hours and I’ll try and have something for you and then maybe asked for donations from colleagues and customers: could you have gone home taking the face of this man with you? with daffodils to the bedside of an ailing patient gasping on a respirator Spring comes round reluctantly . chronically uncomfortable in my skin what is there to do but plant beans place in sun wait seven days until it happens. shoots quietly explode the soft soil bed steady themselves sink tensile roots life support systems mutually assured but none of us breathe easy everything on this fiery planet depends upon the meekest of uprisings atoms become oaks - bring oxygen revolution of the stars bring seasons photosynthesis tell the bees we’re sorry we don’t have enough respirators to go round so what is there to do now but to hold our breath?
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