Beware the jabberwock

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

Lewis Carrol

For now, even the rain is cleaner.
And there are more birds in my garden,
more little things going about their business;
uncaring of our malaise; thinking secretly
(maybe even hopefully,)
that perhaps the worm has finally turned.  
And equally, for the moment at least,
there are less motor cars, which means
there are less of us, less money being chased,
less pollution, less pointless deadline,
less angst; less, despite the knowing,
of all that is still going wrong.

And how I miss my mother and father,
my sister and my nieces, friends I haven't
seen for more months than I care to recall.
Because I am a good little citizen
with perfect eyesight and have been assured
the enemy really is two metres away; hovering.
And though he's been no threat to me as yet,
he's still an unknown; a spiky little thing,
that clings and creepy crawls unseen;
perhaps from 2.2 metres out; or any number
someone cares to produce from the Mad Hatter's hat;
I mean, don't you just love the blind science of it all.

Meanwhile, with time on my hands

I watched an evil man lean on another man's neck.
Peculiarly, though perhaps it was just the camera angle,
he seemed to be smiling as he choked the life from
a fellow human being; causing a strange phenomenon,
when in protest, different kinds of 'bugs' stole as many
pairs of Jordans as they could carry; and just for luck,
a flat screen TV or two; And as Rome smoulders,
I wonder, do we really deserve a scientific saviour
in the form of a clever little jabberwocky in the arm? 

Probably not is the answer.

Reviews

[Eilis]

I thought your word choice malaise was so apt for the state of things now. The state of the things with the virus is still so precarious but people are fatigued by all that being safe requires. I felt like I was stepping back into last summer reading this, Beccy. You really captured the spirit of the time from the global pandemic and how personal it felt to the killing of George Floyd which was so painful and brutal to witness. And how both of those events have had the power to impact people globally. I remember how moving it was to feel the solidarity of the global protests after George Floyd’s death. And how at the beginning of the pandemic so many felt energized to sacrifice for the greater good. Your ending hints at our faltering and asks, in a sense, if we deserve a savior. At least this was where my mind went. We are a brutal and careless species. I suppose the entire Bible is devoted to the question. And over and over the stories seem to reassert our inadequacy. But salvation seems as inevitable as death. Perhaps it’s the divine way or demonstrating the concept of love. A thoughtful and very full poem. So much has happened in the last couple of years the beginning of the pandemic seems like a decade ago. Always a pleasure to read your poetry.

[Beccy]

A week or so ago, I was sort of mulling over the last eighteen months or so and the poem went and wrote itself really. Thank you for your insightful and in depth comment, means a lot.

Beccy.

[Bryan Sefton]

You have said it as it is. The whole crazy scene word for word. We keep thinking that we will wake up and everything will be as it was. But no, the nightmare goes on increasing in its ferocity. I want to go back to writing fairy tale poetry

[Gee]

Probably not is probably correct.
Love this, love your writing full stop.
Hope you are all well Beccy

[Beccy]

Well and all OK thanks Gee. New home, new job, which has meant poetry on the back burner for a time. Missing everyone here at the cafe. but the muse has fled for the time being.

You and yours stay safe and well. X

Beccy.

[Gee]

New home as in new build( aaaaaargh) or new home, old house :)
New job, hope it is one you enjoy.
Your muse will return, you are far to good to leave be.
Take care

[Beccy]

New home, old house. Similar in age to what I had, just a tad more spacious and better parking.

[Robert Trakofler]

it is impossible to not think of these things as we are left with the silent awareness of our own discord there is a part of me that wonders if we do deserve to survive when you look at the supreme selfishness of humanity displayed daily on the nightly news and the self-imposed mass stupidity of the anti-vax anti maskers fighting with school boards to not protect their children it is all very upsetting

[Ken Simm.]

The enemy does indeed gyre and gimbel. A perfect song for today and what is happening. And how things have changed. I somehow felt safer even at the height of the Cold War. Perhaps I didn't understand through the innocence of young. Perhaps I feel that the powers only now seem to be reactive not proactive in anyway. Perhaps i'm just old.
Marvellous piece.

[barleygirl]

This is the most clever thing I've seen written, covid-related. Writers sometimes loose their imagination in the malaise, I'm afraid. But here, your spirited way of observing, with details popping like popcorn, as per usual for you! Thanks for sharing (((HUGS)))

[SkinlessFrank]

oh Beccy...you are a devious little creature to hit the nail so....but I am enjoying the peace of this moment when we strange little creatures find ourselves stymied by such an invisible challenger