What makes ‘lockdown sanity’?

Not violence!

Not marches, protests, mass dissent.

Not profanity!

To ease relief,

Suspend belief.

Don’t dwell on ‘normal’…….

There is no ‘normal’.

Take something small,

In other times not even on the list,

So trival, dismissed,

And make it big.

See the insignificant,

And sweep away the mist,

Make it magnificent.

A wild rose that blooms on a winter’s day.

Be yourself,

Be content with who you are…….

Not where you are,

Not what you are, 

Not how you are,

But who you are,

For this is your new life’s stage.

From here you rise,

No matter what your age!

“Tell me, Grandad….

What did you do in the lockdown?”

“Me, lad……

Aye well……I stayed at home.

I washed my hands.

I wore a mask.

I kept my distance.

I walked alone.

I never had a haircut.

I never went to a cafe,

Or down to the pub.

I never met my mates.

There was just me…..and Gran…

We did it all alone.”

“But Jimmy’s Grandad…..he never did that

He had a good time.

He met his mates. 

He went out and about with them.

He went to town with them…..

…..and fishing.”

“Ah yes.

Jimmy’s Grandad.

I knew him……

Before he passed.”

Covid who?

Stupid name that.

Pratt!

That’s not a surname….

It’s a number.

Lead singer with a group, is he?

Or the head of some third world coup, is he?

Perhaps the next PM?

We don’t want another of them!

Well not for a while.

Too much guile…

Too much bile!
……..

Oh, I know.

I get the flow.

It’s a TV thriller

And he’s the serial killer!

Or maybe he’s a ‘she’.

I can cope with ‘wrong’….

I can right it.

If I can’t right it, I can help to right it.

If I can’t help to right it, I can ease it.

If I can’t ease it, I can help to ease it.

If I can’t help to ease it, I can provide solace.

If I can’t provide solace, I can help to provide solace.

If I can’t help to provide solace, I can empathise.

If I can’t empathise, I can help to empathise.

If I can’t help to empathise, I can understand.

If I can’t understand, I can help to understand.

If I can’t help to understand, I can cry…..with you.

I can’t cope with ‘It’s not my fault’.

Everything is ‘my fault’.

Everything is of your own making.

Every decision you have made or not made,

Everything you have done or not done,

Every road you have taken or not taken,

Has led to this point.

It is nobody elses’ fault.

If you are ‘wrong’, you are ‘wrong’….

We can right it.

If we can’t right it, we can help to right it.

If we can’t help to right it, we can ease it.

If we can’t ease it, we can help to ease it.

If we can’t help to ease it, we can provide solace.

If we can’t provide solace, we can help to provide solace.

If we can’t help to provide solace, we can empathise.

If we can’t empathise, we can help to empathise.

If we can’t help to empathise, we can understand.

If we can’t understand, we can help to understand.

If we can’t help to understand, we can cry…..together.