Poetry
At a time when we’re afraid, when we’re petrified…COVID-19 Lockdown Poem #1
In aisle 5 (or was it 6?), this lithe chick—sneakers, leggings, thighs, thick bouncing braids—busts a funky hip-hop move while bending low for BBQ-flavour Pringles. Ahh! I coo, there they are: one more item off the children’s wishful list. Dutifully I fall in step and for a moment, we duet, risk a boogie less
In aisle 5 (or was it 6?), this lithe chick—sneakers, leggings, thighs, thick
bouncing braids—busts a funky hip-hop move while bending
low for BBQ-flavour Pringles. Ahh! I coo,
there they are: one more item off the children’s wishful list. Dutifully
I fall in step and for a moment, we duet, risk a boogie
less than three feet apart between the rows and shelves and stacks
of sweets and treats and snacks. This might be the last chance
before we all depart, I reason, before grabbing classic Pringles.
You stay good! You too! Be safe! we urge each other;
her Brit-black accent chimes off mine.
While over the store’s loudspeakers, Gloria vows she, too, will survive.
We resume the sanitized shop, part and go our distanced ways
smiling, I double back for Cadbury’s darkest
but do not see her dancing braids again.
March 30, 2020
More About the Author
Linda M. Deane
Linda M. Deane is a Barbadian writer and cultural critic. She is the co-founder of ArtsEtc and has been writing about Caribbean literature, art, and identity for over two decades. Her essays have appeared in numerous publications across the Caribbean and beyond.
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