no sign of him
but my neighbour’s shed door
swings and clatters in the wind
arhythmically
this could go on
for some time
the unsettled silence
just on the edge of spring
still cold though touches
of colour outside promise renewal
daily the case count climbs
the signers in black spell one another
between the politician and the doctor
(we watched this show
a year ago)
the police have been brought in
unthreatening but firm
beyond the press conferences
protocols and regulations
the dark unknown
distances us from what we most need
