Slowed to a walking pace.

Slowed to a walking pace

Had I chanced upon this film, or Netflix series 
grazing, and for want of other 
I would have jeered, the very premise 
preposterous, for heaven’s sake, whatever next
some fevered mind unleashed 
alien and unlikely as bug-eyed monsters 
green, with tentacles. 
Yet somehow now, not entirely sudden, but tiptoeing in at first 
- you had perhaps to be alert 
not dreaming of Brexit Day, nor flaunting cleverness 
not spouting lumps of Latin, when a COBRA meeting called 
yes, you had to be alert- 
for something big was coming 
silent as snow overnight, transforming 
smothering the Life Before, a blanket on the fire 
a giant’s hand to halt the traffic, hushing streets and squares 
behind closed doors, cribbed and confined 
corona rules applied, all human life locked down. 

In days the world reformed, stilled on its axis
slowed to a walking pace 
and hard it is to take this in 
to break old habits, stop the spin 
but here we are, astonished, premise preposterous 
no choice, no voice, a new world ordering
new rules new customs everywhere applied 
and some will fret for what is gone 
and some for what’s to come 
but nowhere there are answers 
mighty Google’s speechless, dumb.
So we sit in isolation
hold our breath collectively 
we reflect on what’s important 
and we pray it will survive 
in a world of transformation
stilled upon its axis
slowed to a walking pace. 

May 1st 2020 Hounoux