Never have I seen London like this,
A city in lockdown.
The streets are quiet
And virtually empty
Of people and cars.
This time we are living through
Has laid bare our human frailty.
We are but tiny specks in the universe.
Each day,
As I listen to the news of lives lost
And so much loneliness and isolation,
I find the sadness overwhelming.
My daily walk has become my refuge,
A chance to calm my mind
By connecting with nature
And breathing in the suddenly clean air.
The birds sing out long and loud,
Pigeons swoop low, right past my head.
They have taken ownership of the air.
On the South Bank last week,
I saw a pair of geese
Strolling along together
Like a comfy married couple.
They had no fear,
As if the lack of humans
Was a most welcome thing.
The trees,
They fascinate me.
I knew about them before, of course,
But in this time
I can't take my eyes off them.
They come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are filled with cherry blossom,
Some stand in silhouette
Tall and naked against the blue sky,
Or the night sky,
Depending on when I take my daily walk.
In a park today,
I looked up and saw many pairs of shoes
Hanging by their laces
From the branches of a very tall tree.
I don't know who put them there,
Or how they did it,
Or when.
But it was funny
And it made me smile.
And the flowers
Springing up everywhere!
I never saw so many tulips
And daffodils.
The daisies peek out
From the clover and the marigolds,
Delicious nectar for the bees.
Mother Earth is not frail.
She is stronger than all of us.
And so, in this strangest of times,
Amid all of the sadness,
I stop to give thanks each day
For this exquisite blue planet
And its many gifts of healing energy.
Scenes from London in lockdown
For more photos of our beautiful natural world, head to my Nature gallery.
Blog copyright Barbara Grehs
Published on 16 April 2020
Comments