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Marilyn Humbert

Lockdown Monotony

in the still morning
eucalypt leaves dangle
aimlessly
isolation days drag on
yet spring draws near 

First day of September 2021 Greater Sydney was in the 10th week of lockdown. Two weeks ago Regional NSW was placed under the same restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-Delta until 80% of New South Wales is double vaccinated. Sometime in November, the experts tell us.

To keep safe, we aren’t allowed to leave our local area.  We have mastered buying groceries and other goods online.

Zoom dates
with my family…
kisses
smudge the screen
too precious to wipe away
 
afternoon calls
down a crackling line
mum’s voice
fades
a little more

My cupboards are tidy and decluttered from previous lockdowns. My husband has the garden weeded and the lawns trimmed.

I make an extra effort to write each day, do some baking to pass the time. 

first flush
azalea’s blood-red flowers
thankful
for all the small things
and a backyard surprise

Note: “in the still morning” tanka first published in Bamboo Hut No. 3, 2021


About the Author


Marilyn Humbert lives in the Northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Her tanka and haiku appear in international and Australian journals, anthologies, and online. Her free-verse poems have been awarded prizes in competitions, published online, and in anthologies.

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