Photo: Clair Chilvers http://clairchilverspoetry.co.uk/
When We Come Out of the Darkness
When we come out of the darkness
leave behind the half-life
a life of distance from others
a life without touch.
Small touches – hand on arm,
kissing the top of The Boy’s head
his arms round my waist in greeting.
When we come out of the darkness
leave the live-streamed musicians
the dancers in their kitchens
actors with headphones.
Share anticipation
as we buy a programme, order interval drinks,
see friends unexpectedly.
But there were new experiences
Zoom calls to friends we rarely see,
talking as we might not otherwise
because there was never time.
We have had a surfeit of time
time to waste, or time to spend
on small things – reading, clearing out a room,
finding walks close to home.
When we come out of the darkness will we still watch the clouds pass?
Clair Chilvers © From: Out of the Darkness (Frosted Fire, 2021)