• Vol. 07
  • Chapter 06

Lockdown Blues Reds and Greens

It was three weeks of staying inside
that sent me colour-blind.
Looking out of windows does that to you.
There are hardly any cars on the road –
just the occasional tractors and delivery vans.

The back window is more interesting.
I’ve been counting
blackbirds, robins and pheasants, watching
deer chew daffodil leaves and willow buds unfurling
into pointillist portraits of spring.

The first day I left the house for a daily walk
and closed the front door behind me,
I thought I’d lost my mind.
The tarmac was vivid
with red and green chevrons.

I stopped before I could go,
like a deer in the headlights,
only it was daylight
and there were no
people or vehicles on the road.

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