The UK Lockdown Lowdown

This is far from my usual style of writing however I figured seeing as my country is going into a second lockdown- I would try something different and a little more dysfunctional in my poem. <3

The UK Lockdown Lowdown

By Kirsty Hignett

Four weeks, they said. Well-

Four weeks became four months.

The March became the June

And they lifted the ban on living.

 

June became the August

And the cases began to rise.

They denied we had a problem

So that innocent, paupers died.

 

August became the September-

A tier system was then proposed

Yet not implemented ‘til October.

Meanwhile… the numbers continued to climb

 

October is now November-

The tier system has been scrapped.

We’re back to square one once more

And the cycle begins again.

 

Four weeks, they said, Well-

…

…

Someday they’ll lift the ban on living.

Author's Note

This is a different style of writing than I am used to- however I figured a dysfunctional situation like a national lockdown deserved a different approach than my usual poetry. I hope you enjoy!

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

someone here on this side of the ocean said the same thing.
But it was not truth....and life has a new normal...and it has locked down the poetic minds...
I love the line "they lifted the ban on living"---

[Kirsty Hignett]

Glad you took the time to read! It has been a roller-coaster- still is here in the UK. I like the poetic irony in your comment 'it has locked down the poetic minds'. Fantastically put and a perfect analogy!

I enjoy that line too- it's actually my favourite line in the poem 😅 it just seemed perfect.. Because for a lot of people life just stopped. You can't exactly live if you're shut away in a house or a room for an extended period of time- not in the broader sense, you know?