Reader Submissions

Well-Known Corners of the People

Love and Lockdown

by
Vasilka Pateras

Quarantined playground

tape swinging in the wind

I catch my breath as I pass


walks by the Yarra soothe the worry


late night emails – someone to talk to

a plaintive poem about seeking solace in booze


walks by the Yarra soothe the worry


I sit on the chaise longue,

take my Turkish coffee

listen to the rain

think about psychoanalysis

“– II n’y a pas de rapport sexuel”*

two bricks crash down the chimney

break the silence – what does it mean?


walks by the Yarra soothe the worry


Spanish take-away  - tapas and wine

will I keep the restaurants solvent

for a moment I forget the virus


crafts to keep busy

daughters knit and crochet

to mark time


walks by the Yarra soothe the worry


anger at the tv

overseas students told to go home

scrambles for goods in supermarkets

frays driven by fear

bricks caught in the chimney’s throat

a fire that cannot breathe


walks by the Yarra soothe the worry


*Jacques Lacan