Hi,
I hope you are well, I really do. I’ve been trying to bash out some words on the current Covid-19 pandemic and the various ways I feel it affects mental health, and (this isn’t exactly what I had planned) I wrote a poem.
When The Lockdown Is Over is about the hopes and intents of a world where we’re allowed back outside, and the delusions we might be building around that. My million dollar hot-take, simplified? Most of us will carry on pretty much as we did before.
It’s getting released on social media tomorrow (Easter Sunday) but of course I wanted you to see it first, with a little inside track. Cutting it a bit fine I know, but I didn’t fancy sitting on it much longer.
Well, here it is:
I come in at the top I bit fast and drop a consonant here and there, but I wanted this to be something rough-and-ready rather than overly produced. Whatever you don’t like about it, I probably already dislike threefold.
As a little behind-the-scenes treat, I thought I’d give you an insight into the process. What started as some quick phone notes turned into scribbles, made a way through a cut-and-paste adventure, and ended up glued to an envelope in my reading hand. I’m not big on hobbycraft so this isn’t usually the way I do things, but it worked pretty well.
So there it is. Hopefully you’ll take something from it, and the random nasties of the internet won’t pour too much derision on it. I’m doing my best to crack on with the next thing and not look back or sit still. I guess it’s all we can do, sometimes.
I really do hope you are well.
Nick
Xx
P.S. Remember that as a member of this community, only you will get the opportunity to pick up 500ish Days In The Quiet Room at a scarily low introductory price this year, and after launch only you will get a digital copy of the companion collection All Better Now for absolutely free!