Here in this quiet corner of Wales we are still firmly locked down. Its over seven weeks since I visited a shop! This small, generous community bring supplies, keeping a virtual eye on us while we hunker down. Drovers Retreat, in all its spring glory, is temporarily moth-balled while we await that moment when we can share this special place with family, friends and guests once again. Into our isolation bubble comes daily news, by turn depressing, uplifting, confusing, encouraging, unbelievable and humorous. I feel I am spinning in a whirlpool of contrary emotions and so I walk. With every step I walk my spaghetti head begins to straighten out. I start singing and often the poetry comes with a sigh of relief.
On one such walk the first line of this poem ‘Sourcing of Masks’ hijacked my thoughts and quickly became a mantra with successive steps, ‘Today we have sourcing of masks’. Henry Reed’s famous ‘Naming of Parts’ had been buried in my grey matter since school days, for over 50 years, until quite suddenly I realised just how relevant the five stanzas are in these crazy, desperate times.
Carolyn, May 2020