Or My experience of Covid 19 and NaPoWriMo Day 1

It’s been a while . . . Life has been busy and although i have written a line or two here and paragraph or two there, I do not seem to have had the time to sit down and write for a solid block of time. When Jon started coughing and we started to self-isolate, I had grand ideas of all that I would achieve in my 14 days at home and how much time I would get to write. Covid 19 had other plans for me.

Two days into our isolation I started with a sore throat. Nothing major, just a niggle to start with, but within a couple of days my throat was in agony. The pain spread all the way up into my ears, my neck ached and I was now coughing “persistently”. My fever was only ever intermittent, but I developed aches in every joint of my body, even the joints in my feet throbbed, and the fatigue knocked me off my feet. I lost a couple of days. As the fatigue started to recede I realised how much the constant coughing had aggrivated the whiplash from our recent car accident and at times I just could not find a comfortable position to keep my head in. I lost another couple of days to the fog of codeine. It is now day 15 since I first had symptoms. I am up and dressed and have brushed my hair. I went for a walk earlier as I had been desperate to get out of the house, but when I came back I needed a nap. I am so desperate to be back to my usual level of energy. Physical and mental. At least with more mental energy I could write, even if not much else.

The month of April is National Poetry Writing Month, also known as NaPoWriMo, and for the last few years I have attempted to write and publish online a poem a day for the whole month. I have yet to manage the full 30, but I was determined that I was not going to fail on the first day, just because of this stupid virus, but it has been hard work. I had the starting four lines for this poem already written, but I have completed it today. No doubt I will come back and edit it at some point, but for now here it is: Poem 1 of (hopefully) 30.

Once Upon a Moonbeam

Once upon a moonbeam in a land where wild things roam,
There came a sudden gusting, that shook the stays of home
It started in the Westerlands and blew straight to the East
With no regard for kith and kin assaulted man and beast.
The cries of those first lives consumed were heard by all around
And all who paid attention scattered far across the ground
Confusion reigned and fear was high as none knew what it meant
The moonlight left and clouds so black began their sure descent
And when no light was left at all, the darkness so complete
The terror of the tempest whole was felt as sheer defeat.
For none was left could stand up tall with boldness to oppose
The resolute destruction by unknown unseen foes.

Twice upon a moonbeam in a land where mad things roam
There came an awful gusting that shook the roots of home
It started in the southern lands and blew straight to the north
With no regard for kith or kin assaulted all thenceforth.
The cries of those who knew the stories travelled far and wide
And all around knew that the time they’d dreaded had arrived
Ill prepared and caught off guard haphazardly they scampered
As skies grew dim and brightest moon with clouds so black was covered
And when no light was left at all, the darkness so complete
The terror of this tempest once again brought sheer defeat.
For none was left could stand up tall with boldness to oppose
The resolute destruction by unseen once known foes.

Thrice upon a moonbeam in a land where rare things roam
There came a wayward gusting that shook the base of home
It started who knows where and who knows wherefore now it came
The hurricane that brought such pain it’s power to proclaim
The cries of all who suffered hence did not fall on deaf ears
And one who would protector be stood up; defying fears
And to the east and to the west the whisper did set forth
They heard it’s tale throughout the South ‘twas heard throughout the North
So as the skies grew black the champion’s beacon did shine out
And all who saw grew bolder in the light and shed their doubt
They blunted now the sword of fear this tempest held so proud
And unified they stood their ground until this foe was cowed.

Once upon a moonbeam in a land where all things roam
Just one stood tall and all around were granted peace at home.

E Howie 01/04/2020