Confinement
Stuck inside
They say
For a few weeks
A month, a year
Missing touches
And hugs
Petrified sometimes
The time to myself
My own
The fan is on for company
Not as lonely as I thought—
Dreams and phone calls
March 29, 2020
Jackson Heights
King:
ReplyDeleteI love this. It really puts me into a place where I don't want to be, namely, alone and trapped for who knows how long? The short lines increase the claustrophobia for me, too. You probably have a lot to write about this subject. Is your whole building as alive as ever? Is the family who yells a lot still loud? Do you see people on the street outside? Do you have conversations with the grocery delivery person? Do you speak with strangers at all? I was so glad yesterday to see JZ with his mom. That is huge for both of them. You are the one I worry about. An extrovert like you needs people. I am glad you are writing about this kind of stuff!
My favorite word in this is petrified. I know you mean the connotation of it (debilitating fear) but I know there is more there with the the literal meaning of the word. I don't know a lot about petrification, but I think it happens mostly to wood when mineral-rich water runs through it over time and the wood structures break down gradually replaced by mineral. The shape is retained, but the substance has shifted wholly. Maybe that's a metaphor that is worthy of expansion.