Overview

This composite journal of the Covid Years is made up of the writings, artwork and photographs of twenty-seven contributors, whose ages at the time of writing or creating ranged from seven to over eighty. Most of them were in the UK but there are also contributions from Greece, Italy and the USA. The dated entries run from March 2020 to January 2023. Responses to the strange and disturbing years we have lived through range from the sorrow and anger of bereavement through calm reflections and gentle humour to mockery and bitter satire directed at some of our political leaders. It includes memorial tributes to two contributors who died during these years, and it is dedicated to all the staff of the NHS for their extraordinary devotion under incomparable difficulties. Colenso Books will donate any profits from the sale of this book to charities which benefit the UK National Health Service and its staff.

Full Product Details

Author:   Anthony Hirst
Publisher:   Colenso Books
Imprint:   Colenso Books
Dimensions:   Width: 14.80cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 21.00cm
Weight:   0.365kg
ISBN:  

9781912788309

ISBN 10:   1912788306
Pages:   228
Publication Date:   30 November 2023
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

CONTENTS KEY TO CONTRIBUTORS AGD Adrianna Gomez Dangremond AH Anthony Hirst AR Alice Rainey AW Albie Waddell BJ Brian Jagger CLM Cecilia Loulakaki-Moore DJ Di Jagger EE Elizabeth Ellis FH Frances Haste FM Faysal Mikdadi IFR Isabel Field Reid ILM Irene Loulakaki-Moore IW Ian Whitwham JN Julian Nangle JP Jim Potts LF Lily Flintoff MA Mark Allen MSP Maria Strani-Potts NMP Nina-Maria Potts OW Otis Waddell PH Polly Haste SB Suzie Black SE Sarah Ekdawi SFR Sue Field Reid SW Susan Walpole WL Wilf Lunn WM William Merrett Titles of images are in SMALL CAPITALS; where they are also in quotation marks, they are not titles as such, but words present within the image. Items marked with an asterisk in the period March 15th to May 20th, 2020 (and one item now placed later), were first published in Viral Verse: pandemic poems and images (June 2020). A long dash (———) in the sequence of dates indicates either that the item is undated or that its date is not part of the chronological sequence. Where the ages of under-eighteens are given, here and on the pages where their contributions appear, they are their ages at the time of writing or creating. “MASS PYSCHOSIS — COVID KILLS!” (Photo, AH) front cover Editor’s Introduction xiii–xiv A PROLOGUE FROM THE DISTANT PAST, 1666–1694 Haiku of isolation and sorrow (Matsuo Bashō) 1–4 A PROLOGUE FROM THE RECENT PAST, 2016 In memory of Thomas (MA) 5–8 A COMPOSITE JOURNAL IN POETRY, PROSE AND PICTURES 2020 ——— SOCIAL DISTANCING (Painting, detail, SFR)* 10 March 15th. Report from Mondaino (SB) 11 ——— SOCIAL DISTANCING (Painting, full image, SFR)* 11 March 22nd. London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on the Covid-19 Express (AH)* 12–13 March 23rd. The Great Field, Poundbury (JP)* 14 March 23rd. “COVID-19 . . . THE GREAT FIELD” (Photo, MSP)* 15 March 24th. In brief (AH)* 16 March 25th. Donald’s “beautiful timeline” (AH)* 16 March 26th. Disjunction (AH)* 17 March 26th. Lockdown Snapshot (AR) 17 March 26th. Lockdown UK-style Week 1 (AH)* 18 March 28th. Covidity and other terms of reference (AH)* 19 March 31st. Number games or Well done, Mr President (AH)* 20–21 ——— “DEFENSE ABSOLUE . . . DANGER DE MORT” (Photo, AH) 21 ——— Life’s a game (AH) 21 March 31st. The other Big C (JP) 22 April 7th. Age-at-death unknown (AH)* 23 April 7th. But is it war? (AH)* 24 April 9th. Let us pray — or preferably not (AH)* 24 April 10th. Silent Springs (AH)* 25 ——— “SILENT SPRING BY RACHEL CARSON” (Book cover)* 25 April 10th. Panic Rap (IW) 26–27 April 12th. Wandering Widsith’s Original Corona Virus Homesick Blues (JP)* 28 ——— “WIDSIÐ MAÐOLADE” (Text image)* 28 April 13th. Fourth week (SW)* 29 April 14th. Empty streets (AH)* 30 April 15th. ! If the Cancer doesn’t get you the Corona Virus will ! (IW) 31 April 15th. 999 call (JP)* 32 ——— “PINK CHERRY BLOSSOM” (Photo, IFR)* 32 April 16th. Discharged! (JP) 33 April 17th. A Viral Vision (CLM, age 15) 34–35 (2020) April 17th. “Mortality Support Unit” — “Temporary mortuary approved for Dorchester” (JP)* 36 ——— “THE OLD RADIO STATION” (Photos, JP)* 37 April 18th. A respectful distance (AH)* 38 ——— “HELP US KEEP HACKNEY PARKS OPEN” (Photo, AH)* 38 April 19th. SOCIALLY-DISTANCED BIRTHDAY QUIZ (Photo, IFR)* 39 April 19th–20th. in a time of corona virus (JN)* 40 April 20th. Apart (FM)* 41 April 21st. Politically speaking (AH)* 42 ——— “NOW IN THE THICK OF IT” (Photo, AH) 43 April 23rd. Clap for our heroes (EE)* 44–45 ——— “NHS — THANK GOD FOR IMMIGRANTS” (Photo, AH; poster, Jeremy Deller) 45 April 28th. Anagram lures OK, Orbis? or Taking the P.M. to pieces (AH)* 46–47 April 29th. Another Slough (BJ)* 48–49 May 2nd. A triumph for the minister on May Day (AH)* 50–52 May 3rd. CT scanners (JP)* 53 May 3rd. May 2020 (SW) 54 May 4th. Inaction and reaction are unequal and apposite (AH)* 55 May 4th. ISOLATED (Painting, SFR)* 56 May 5th. Lockdown on a summer’s day (MA) 57 May 5th. Clumsy haiku (IW) 58 May 6th. Covid-Nineteen War Cabinet reconsidered (AH) 58 May 6th. Dorset Blues (JP)* 59 ——— “CLAP FOR OUR CARERS” (Logo)* 59 May 7th. Clap-for-our-carers haiku (AH)* 59 ——— IT’S NOT A MONSTER (Painting, black-and white, OW, age 7)* 60 ——— Phone conversation (AH & OW)* 60 May 7th. HOME STUDIO (Text and photos, PH)* 60 ——— Dodona Oracle (JP) 61 May 8th. Trees in recovery (AH) 61 May 8th. Passing (JN)* 62 May 8th. “NO HORIZON” (Photo, IFR)* 63 May 10th. Uncertain future (IFR & AH)* 63 ——— “MORNING HAS BROKEN” (Hymn extract, words and music)* 64 (2020) May 11th. Boris has spoken . . . (AH)* 64–65 ——— “DANCE OF DEATH?” (Photo and text, AH) 65 May 13th. Conscious isolation (SW) 66–67 ——— UNCONSCIOUS ISOLATION (Photo, JP) 67 May 13th. Who’s for shearing? (DJ)* 68 May 14th. Bumble Boy Blue (BJ)* 69 ——— “THIS FACILITY IS CLOSED” (Sign) 69 May 14th. I Miss You Guys (May 14th, WM, age 10)* 70–71 ——— “THESE DAYS WILL PASS” (Photo, PH)* 71 May 14th. Convalescent (JP) 71 May 15th. Life (AW, age 10)* 72 May 15th. THE XMASk (Design, black-and-white, WL ; Photos, DJ; Text, WL, DJ & AH)* 73 May 16th. Cruise ships in Weymouth bay (JP) 74–75 May 16th. Staff conference by Zoom (JP)* 75 ——— “WIN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS” (Photo, JP)* 76 May 16th. From left to right (AH)* 76 May 17th. Song without words or Praise for the handling of the crisis by UK and US governments (Anon.)* 77 May 17th. Sounds of Lockdown (IFR)* 78–79 May 19th. OUT OF THE WOODS? (Photo, AH)* 79 May 20th. THE SIGNS THEY ARE A CHANGIN’ (Photo, AH)* 79 May 24th. Lockdown Lament (SW) 80 May 26th. Let’s tell sad stories (FM) 81 May 26th. Stop Press – New Eye-testing prodedures (SE) 82–83 May 27th. Home Schooling — A Modern Qasidah (EE) 84 May 29th. Pontius Pilate and the Flight into Edict (AH) 85 May 29th. Loot’n, shoot’n, gun-toot’n Presidump or Twitter Moderators take on Trump (AH) 86–87 ——— Postscript to the above (AH) 87 May 29th. Comorbidity and Charon. (JP) 88 May 31st. two- and three-season tanka (AH) 89 May 31st. Age of Innocence (England in the 1960s) (AH) 90 ——— “CORONA” (Photo: Still Time Collection) 90 June 1st. The perils of graphic design (AH) 91 June 1st. Boris addresses the nation (SE) 92–93 (2020) —— “LET’S FUND THE NHS INSTEAD — VOTE LEAVE” 93 June 2nd. No safe place for angels (AH) 94–98 June 7th. We’re in big trouble (AH) 99 ——— “IF I’M THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM” (Design, AH) 99 ——— “MORE THAN 2 METRES APART” (Photo, AH) 100 June 9th. Meditation on two added words (AH) 100–101 June 11th. A vision in early June (JP) 102 June 11th. Normal Life (AH) 102 June 13th. Domestic Problem (AH) 103 June 15th. Good, better, worst (AH) 104 June 17th. Covid exile (JP) 105 June 18th. The bench (a dream) (JP) 105 June 18th. Mind the Gap (Tell me lies about the NHS / Corona) (IW) 106–107 June 20th. ON THE BEACH? (Photo, JP) 107 July 5th. The Cove House Inn, Portland (JP) 108 July 17th. Passenger Locator Form, Corfu Airport (JP) 109 July 17th. It’s Not Just All in Your Head (AR) 110–111 July 25th. The Devil’s Advocate and the Coronavirus Pandemic (JP) 111 August 5th. Corfu opens up (JP) 112 August 11th. Corfu Friends (MSP) 113 September 3rd.. Consider the handshake (AGD) 114 Late September. Grim prospects — autumnal Monday (JP) 115 ——— END-OF-SEASON DRACULA (Photo, JP)* 115 October 23rd. Generation or gender? (AH) 116 ——— NATIONAL COVID MEMORIAL WALL (Photo 1, JP) 117 October 31st. BORIS JOHNSON ANNOUNCES A SECOND COVID LOCKDOWN FOR ENGLAND (Still from BBC TV) 118 November 10th. Thankless Job? No Thanks! (AR) 118–119 November 12th. The Quick and the Dead (IW) 120–121 November 18th. Bread and circuses (AH) 121 Continued over . . .   2021 January 7th. Notification of Exceptional Movements of Citizens (ILM) 122 ——— NATIONAL COVID MEMORIAL WALL (Photos 2–3, JP) 123 January 20th. A jab in time saves lives (MA) 124–125 January 23rd. “I’VE HAD MY COVID VACCINATION” (Badge, NHS) 126 January 23rd. I’ve had my covid vaccination (AH) 126–127 February 1st. The sublime and the ridiculous are not so far apart (AH) 128–129 ——— Brave cowards (JP) 129 IN MEMORIAM FAYSAL MIKDADI February 2nd. Spring Daffodils (FM) 130 ——— from Nature’s Questioning (Thomas Hardy) 131 ——— “LIFE AND DEATH ARE NEIGHBOURS NIGH” (Photo, JP) 131 ——— I loved you once (SW) 132–133 ——— Our Story (SW) 133–134 ——— The Perfect Day (SW) 134–135 ——— This magical rain (JN) 136–137 ——— I find myself in 2022 (SW) 137 ———— o ———— February 6th. Are you thinking of dying? (AH) 138–139 February 10th. Be-Bop-a-Lula (AH) 140–141 February 24th. One day, two scenarios (for Maria) (JP) 142 ——— JIM AND MARIA IN OXFORD (Photo, Anon.) 142 ——— JIM AND MARIA IN PRAGUE (Photo, Anon.) 142 February 27th. The writing on the walls (AH) 143–148 March 6th. So much is over (In memoriam Jill Poppy) (JP) 148 March 7th. Trainee boxer (FH) 149 March 23rd. Remains (AR) 150 March 24th. My Covid-19 Reading Year (SW) 151–157 ——— NATIONAL COVID MEMORIAL WALL (Photos 4–6, JP) 158–160 March 29th. Mass psychosis (AH) 161–164 ——— Home Test for Corona Virus (a Greek Approach) (Internet image of Greek text, JP; translation AH) 165 March–April. My Zoom Portraits (SFR) 166–167 (2021) May 13th. from Linked-verse meditations (AH) 168 September 26th. I Spy (JP) 168 October 15th. ONS Covid-19 Infection Survey (JP) 169 October 13st. Recurrent Covid nightmare (virtual reality) (JP) 169 November 30th. Obstacles to mindfulness (JP) 170 2022 January 1st. Horror Scopes (JP) 170 ——— Taken Short (JP) 170 January 4th. Unlocked Language (JP) 171 ——— AFTER THE PARTY? (Photo JP) 171 April 28th. Holding on to letting go (LF, age 14) 172 April 30th. Eye on the Sparrow (AR) 172–173 ——— NATIONAL COVID MEMORIAL WALL (Photos 7–8, JP) 174 THE SEA AND MARIA (A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO MARIA STRANI-POTTS) ——— Prika (JP) 175 ——— Corfu (JP) 175 ——— Maria Swimming (JP) 176 ——— A cultural mistake 176 Late May. Miroloi for Maria — a lament (JP) 177–178 ——— The key (JP) 178 ——— The Sea (Dinos Christianopoulis, translation JP) 179 ——— Life on loan — life reclaimed (JP) 179 ——— Extracts from the “Epilogue” to Maria’s autobiography 180–181 ——— The Globe and the Plaque (JP) 182 ——— MEMORIAL PLAQUE, POUNDBURY CEMETERY (Photo, JP) 182 ——— Thoughts of Maria’s daughter (on the first anniversary of Maria’s death) (NMP) 183–185 ——— Cypresses (JP) 186 ——— IN THE FIRST CEMETERY OF CORFU, GARITSA, CORFU TOWN (Photo, JP) 186 ——— GRAVE INSCRIPTION IN THE FIRST CEMETERY (Photo, JP) 186 (2022) September 19th. In the left pocket of your leather jacket (LF, age 14) 187 October 15th. Counting (LF, age 14) 188 ——— NATIONAL COVID MEMORIAL WALL (Photo 9, JP) 189 November 28th. “Release people!” (JP) 190 December 23rd. Covid at last (AH) 190–191 December 24th. Marx on surplus value: the case of dairy farming (AH) 191–192 December 24th. Covid Day 2 (AH) 192–193 December 25th. Covid Day 3 (Xmas Day) (AH) 194–195 Decmber 28th. Covid Day 6 (AH) 195–196 2023 January 4th. Happy Birthday Mr C (AH) 197–198 January 7th. Covid Day 16 (AH) 198–199 ——— “SUPPORT THE NHS” (Photo, AH) 199 January 18th. Nothing News To Say (AR) 200–201 ———— o ———— Index to poems and images by contributor 203–204 IT’S NOT A MONSTER (Painting, in colour, OW, age 7) back cover “ANTI COVID-19 MISTLETOE KISSING MASK” (Design, in colour, WL) back cover

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