April 8, 2020

When this is over, I’m ... (lockdown verse)

When this is over, I’m going to write a poem
One that captures the rhythm and rhyme
Of these three weeks I was locked up at home
Absolutely losing all sense of time.

Day 0 was when the announcement was made
And we were given four hours
To ‘prep’ to be indoors for 21 days
The command given by the man in power.

Day 1 was surreal, not much else to say
It felt like a good break maybe in some way.
Day 2 we took stock of grains, pulses and snacks
Biscuits and Maggi added to the list, many a pack.

Day 3 is when the seriousness hit
The consequences, we started to realise, bit by bit.
Day 4 was special, cos veggies I scored
Tomatoes, beans, bottle and even bitter gourd.

Day 5 was friends, family and Zoom
It was nice to see everyone from the comfort of my room.
Day 6, a Corona bingo I made
Before the commonalities I was seeing began to fade.

Day 7 I felt the start of some routine
Home stuff and work from home were more familiar scenes.
Day 8 I wrote a poem about that
In case I needed a reminder about how to keep things on track.

Day 9 I made the first of many lists
Of things learned, not missed, and missed.
Day 10 began with WhatsApp fights
Over the announcement about Sunday’s lights.

Day 11 I listed the things I hadn’t used
To see shoes and shades there left me amused.
Day 12 turned out to be a Sunday
Funday, it wasn’t, just more mundane.

Days 13 and 14 were crazy at work
See how that’s the first time I mentioned work. ‘Smirk’.
Today is Day 15 and I may read this out in class
If at all I’m graded, I hope I’ll at least pass.

I hope to continue this for the remaining time
If more than 21 days, it may be harder to rhyme.
Even though it’s nothing particularly deep
This experience, I want to keep.

21 days will never sound the same again
Let's hope it's 21, and the lockdown will end.

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