The following poem is inspired by the reactions of members of the public to ‘The Derby Witness’ at Artcore Gallery, presented as part of the Cabin Fever Residency, Spring 2021.
Witness
I can smell cigarette smoke
Hear voices I don’t recognise
Mouths hidden behind stylish face coverings
No more powder blue PPE as standard
Now, we strut, fashionistas
The streets are our runway
Rocking our lockdown bods and comfy shoes
At a respectable two-metre distance
I am blindsided by the sight of people
Doing everyday things like they used to do before
It seems normality has been restored
In all it’s hideous, beautiful, mundane glory
But there’s no pressure,
Take your own time to step back into your spotlight
We’ll wait
Consider this a reset
A chance for humanity to not to repeat the mistakes of the past
But to heal and repair and to learn what’s really important
Weep when you need to
Dance when you want to
Hold those long distance closer than before
Raise a glass to absent friends
Maybe it’s not the end of the world, but just the beginning
A second coming of the roaring twenties
Where we stand and roar together
Our voices raised against injustice
We come back stronger
Like flowers from the soil, we too shall rise
The heat of the sun on our faces
As is for the first time
An ordinary life, after extraordinary days
Never taking anything for granted again.
D. Webber
4th May 2021
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