Standstill by D. Parker

We’re in the middle of the pandemic,
When people quarantine with what seems
Like infinite amounts of pasta and toilet roll,
Make contingency plans for not leaving their homes

For weeks, maybe months, when strategies are concocted
Behind closed doors, perhaps I too should be thinking
Of toilet roll and pasta, of canned goods and cat food;
When my thoughts should be focused on the art of stockpiling,

A different kind of inventory anchors my mind and I count
Goosebumps, kisses, glances, sharp
Breaths taken and released when we were in unison;
Cups of tea, ideas, drawings, poems, tokens we swapped

Particularly for times like these, when a ten minute drive
Seems impossible and out of reach. As I add another
Item to the online shopping list and steal glances at the date,
The time, the hours seem to have come to a halt

And never has life reached such a standstill.

---

D. Parker spends most of her days surrounded by books both at work and at home. In her free time she reads and occasionally lets words form on paper. She lives with a cat who doesn't read anywhere near as much as he should and who spends most of his free time sleeping.

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