Lockdown started, like a turtle I crawl inside
find a primal “coo coo”, humming I
eat bits of lettuce
rub my tummy
rest on cloudy days
After lockdown, after only
a mirror as my companion,
we have permission to re-enter
I step outside my door on Harty Place
let’s go, let’s get going,
restaurants in Dublin are open
I re-enter, walk streets
meet masked invaders,
road runner gazelles whiz past
Disney store clerk hands me a mask
Yarn store filled with candy-colored wool
Shall I touch, was the last customer sick?
Shopkeeper says these months
gave her time back
Who did she give time to?
Marco, a Brazilian
in the health shop, says he
stopped running the red lights,
Full stop, quite pleased
to please himself
I crochet, put puzzle pieces in a jig saw
Stare in space for hours
Like a turtle, pull my head in
It’s a jungle out there
……..
Karla Freeman is a storyteller, trauma therapist, American expat awaiting starting an MFA in creative writing in September, 2020 in Dublin.