
Share Article
1
quarantined at first port of entry
in sunny sardine Airbnb
your 7 year old turns the glass box shower into
COVEED lab
fills out a form screening your symptoms
and submits it to the Police
you know then that
the many more thinking out loud
loudly
through strangers
the stories of THC CBC
legalised pot galore
the squirrel sprawled dead on its back
on the roof outside your bright window
the contradictions of living long and well
but alienated alongside 41 non-indigenous boiling water advisories
are not wacky or absurd
but the very real result of care crisis upon care crisis
in a land bearing plump cherries and tomatoes in winter
and free tests/vaccines for all
2
soccer turns juggling turns skipping and kissing turns
lava and water tag
let go/follow the child/school the child/feed a growth spurt/clean/keep up with paid work/
make calls home and home and to loved ones here/dance Sesame Street/
14 days quarantine between homes even with a wide screen
harder
than 97 days strict lockdown at home
1 pot 1 pan
teaspoon acquired en route in Istanbul
cinnamon remittance by a friend
sink plugged from unicorn bath
erratic heating
head-breaking boots
jet lag haze
constant robot and smokey glass reminders to
EMERGENCY SELF-QUARANTINE
*
gated backyard ‘not part of the listing but OK’
a prophetess delivering
fresh air space insight
organised clutter of the squat next door
pine branch dipped in sangria buds sticky
like glassed blood
6 unit Airbnb seemingly spawning new residents
daily exiting entering few masked
sounding out the ease of controlling those crossing borders
trumpeting Alberto and Che's 1952 defiance
swimming across to join the lepers