I’m nearing the end of my Telling your Story course. I’ve produced a sheaf of poems from over the last month, a couple that I really love, some that need a bit more work and some that are best left as they are – an simple expression of emotion. I’ll be sending several out for submission, but I thought I’d share this one with you – it’s very much of the moment. The prompt was to think about what we’d pack away as this first period of the pandemic seems to be reaching an end.
image courtesy of @tuckergood via unsplash
My coronavirus case has a cherry pink lining
I choose my favourite vanity case
vintage cream with cherry pink lining,
pounced on in that Liverpool charity shop.
I lay down casual chats with my neighbours.
I lay down having you here.
Eating, together, at one on the dot.
There’s a corner for beloved musicians,
beaming beautiful covers of beautiful songs
live from their room to mine. A corner for listening parties,
a corner for shared lives online.
I have to leave space for the wipes, for hand gel, for grocery fear,
Space for missed hugs and markers,
time ebbed away in untouchable blur.
I leave space for those lives irretrievably changed,
Kathryn is a writer based in Shropshire. She writes short fiction, flash fiction and poetry. She has no formal education in creative writing but she reads every poetry book she can get her hands on, and enjoys various online writing groups and courses.
Kathryn has M.E., which brings its own challenges to her working practice, and means she has to monitor her activity with great care. Despite the frustration of these limitations she has reached her goal of having work published, thanks to support from Nine Arches Press Dynamo mentoring scheme.
Kathryn has work published or forthcoming in print magazines like Mslexia, Popshot Quarterly and The Dawntreader and online in places like Words for the Wild, Nine Muses Poetry, Sledgehammer and Riggwelter Press. She was longlisted for the 2019 Fish prize for short fiction, and Paper Swans Press single poem prize in 2020.
Kathryn is a columnist for Spelt Magazine, and has recently been awarded a micro bursary from Raven Studios in Shrewsbury to work on a new pamphlet. She also accepts private commissions under the moniker Poems from the Hare.
When her health allows, Kathryn works as a freelance copywriter and can write confidently across a range of subjects, including travel, food, literature, hospitality and customer service. In addition to these core topics, excellent research skills means she can tackle subjects as diverse as muscle cars and dog training. She takes on proofreading and editing work as requested. You can find out more at her business site
https://thewordemporium.wordpress.com/
Kathryn loves language and its persuasive power. Most of all she loves to write.
View all posts by Kathryn Anna
I absolutely love this! Honestly made me shed a tear 😢. Just brilliant ❤️ Well done. It’s very powerful xxx
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Oh thank you!
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You certainly have caught the times we are in. Lovely. Glad to be on Wendy’s course with you 🙂 x
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What a lovely thing to say Ellie! It’s been a great experience – look forward to seeing more of your work on the future x
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