poetry / writing prompts

Marking Time

Chris Hall59 Comments

Days which merge
one into another
marking time
tied down
by new normal’s rope.

tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

A ray of light
spills through the bars
a gap for hope
to squeeze through.

tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

How long before
with the tiny prick
of a needle
we widen the chink
in covid’s armour
and creep through
to emerge, blinking
in the light?

tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

Written in response to Sadje‘s What do You See #67 photo prompt.

Tim Hüfner @ Unsplash
The photo shows a partially open gate, which is thrown in relief by a light filtering from a doorway.

59 thoughts on “Marking Time”

        • We had a huge spike of infections and hospitalisations right in the middle of the festive break. Lockdown, restricting gatherings, closing beaches, etc. with a 9pm-5am curfew was reintroduced on 28 December and is still in force. Private schools go back today, government schools remain closed and all other rules apply until 15 Feb. It’s working, so we hope that restrictions will be lifted in a couple of weeks. Vaccines for healthcare workers arrived in the country this morning. More are on order for the elderly and the vulnerable, although how all of these are going to be rolled out isn’t clear.
          I’m surprised vaccinations aren’t happening where you are. I guess we all continue to stay home and stay safe as much as possible and continue doing what we have been doing. It will pass; it’s just a matter of time. 🙂

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  17. Good job comparing the pandemic lockdown to prison. While I felt like that when I was in quarantine in a far away land, I don’t feel it now. However, I’m aware of the fact that many do. It’s tough… I hope that the light sticks with them.

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    • For me, the initial ‘hard’ lockdown here felt very strange and confining, especially the nightly curfew and army enforcement of the rules. Police state? I thought, nervously, even though I had no intention of going out after hours. Now whatever rules are currently running our lives, it’s just part of that oft quoted ‘new normal’.

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  21. I had originally read somewhere that the course of Covid 19 (without the new strains) was like the Spanish Flu… which ran about three years. We’ve only about finished one – But then the Spanish Flu didn’t have all the efforts of vaccine creating that are in the works now.

    One of the hardest things to deal with is the limited human contact. Especially if you’re a hugger.
    Let us hope that Light shines bright soon.

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  22. I had my first jab on Wednesday, Chris, so I’ve now joined that ever-growing band of freedom fighters everywhere! Very soon, ignoring the political rows, we’ll all be there.

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