Lockdown poem

#UCTLockDownLetters is a new feature on the University of Cape Town (UCT) news site. Staff, students, parents of students: we want to hear about your experiences of work and life in lockdown. Emails, audio and video clips, prose and poetry are also very welcome. This is your space.

This contribution to Lockdown Letters comes from Associate Professor Ellen Hurst from the Humanities Education Development Unit.

5 May 2020

Another beautiful morning in lockdown

Far too early for a glass of wine

My toddler’s fifth whine

For a little bit of tv and a chocolate egg

An email from work

They’re glad to hear we’re all writing lots of papers

I find this hilarious

The infant has lost interest in pouring water into cups

I set up a teddy bear picnic

Then eat it

I look for recipes for salt-free playdough

(In case the dog eats it)

Then make some.

We cut biscuit shapes with metal cutters

And make wiggly worms.

Eventually I let her watch cBeebies

I wash dishes and hang the laundry

Make her scrambles

It’s 12 and still no work done

It takes an hour to get my child to nap.

I sit down, put my feet up, check the news

I know I shouldn’t, but hope drives me.

An hour later she wakes up again. 

I didn’t answer an email yet

Never mind write something

Lost in reports of Covid deaths

The latest science

And Trump the Terrifying

I think of the loss of my Dad

​​​​The northern summer we’d had planned

I wonder if they’ll accept teddy bear picnics

In lieu of a sabbatical publication count.

UCT News apologises unreservedly for the fact that an incomplete version of this poem was initially posted.