Corfu Town It’s Cricket
Alfresco, beautiful esplanade
taverna in Corfu town.
Retsina and ouzo to drink
Greek salad – kalamata and feta.
Ball on willow echoes out
a cricket match on the esplanade green.
Shouts of out or well done
disturbing the lunch.
Such sounds of Englishness
abounding on foreign soil.
Just enjoying an idyllic Grecian day
then knocked for six.
© Carol Robson
Don Valley & Alice Springs
Short story written and narrated by Carol Robson.
Music David Fesliyan Fesliyan Studios
© Carol Robson
Virus
Pandemic of a human kind
global rush of Covid 19
worldwide death never designed
yet causing the lockdown scene.
Older and vulnerable were mostly thought to be at risk
children, then any age were taken
underlying health problems, the healthy too
no discrimination, it could be you.
Panic buying soon became the norm
empty shelves, no toilet rolls no tins of food
shops emptied by the covid swarm
normal folk now in a frenzied mood,
Self isolation social distancing lockdown
key workers frontline staff NHS Docs and nurses
the ones allowed to move around
NHS staff in their PPE, nursing the dying
trying to save lives in trying times
BBC giving us daily updates of soaring numbers
all over the world not just at home
this is real news not fake
let’s stay safe do not roam,
When it’s over we can party like it’s 1999
down the pub to celebrate with family and friends, reunited with love ones
street parties whatever you want
rebook your holidays, start to live again without fear
me, I’ll just hug my daughters and grandchildren too
©Carol Robson
Govt tells older people with or without health problems to self-isolate. Sadly many of them have been doing it for years, it’s called Loneliness and Isolation.
Darkness falls over you
searching for the light
that gives purpose
the drive, the focus
that keeps you going.
Darkness and fear
choice of living
with your decisions
the roads to take
the low or high.
Living with the choices
hurting others, hurting you
dark descends again
searching for the light
your purpose
right or wrong
choices you live with .
Right choices
right time, right choices
wrong time, wrong choices
right time
whenever is
as dark clouds engulf
limpidity, distorted
illusions of worth
self-belief, disbelief
mental rejection.
Pain and anguish
fear and loathing
behind a smiley façade
Yet!
Look into the eyes
windows of the soul
see the screaming
from deep inside
of this darkness
afraid of iniquity
descending
becoming lost, forever roving
squatting in the darkest corners
of fear and darkness
of your mind.
©Carol Robson #MentalHealth
Born This Way performed at Harms of Hate event Magna Science Park
Copyright: Carol Robson 2018.
Recorded in 2015-16
written and performed by Carol Robson with vocalists Robyn Haddon and Mali Lines Harvey, vocals written, recorded and produced by Rory Pilgrim, performed as part of Rory Pilgrims short film ‘The Open Sky’
Written specially for and performed at the Harms Of Hate event funded by Rotherham Council and the Home Office at the Magna Science Park 27/09/2018 ©Carol Robson #HarmsOfHate #Spokenword #Discrimination
ALL ALONE
I’m so lonely, all alone.
I sit here most days crying,
Yet again, all alone.
Trying to cope.
Never realised how hard this would be.
Existing here, now,
friends say it will get better.
I cannot see this –
I do not want this.
I really don’t want it to get better.
My heart beats with a never-ending ache;
My soul in torment, ripped by pain.
My love, my soul mate, my best friend
Taken from me far too soon,
Leaving me like this, all alone.
I will not be so for much longer:
I will join you my love;
Together again, forever my love
As it was always meant to be.
Then here, this place, this time
Will be empty, all alone.
©Carol Robson
Van Gogh Museum performance of the intergenerational words piece The Open Sky with Robyn Haddon and Rory Pilgrim October 2015.
“A Reflection.
The Open Sky is about words and what they mean for different people.
It’s about intergenerational words,
I bring words with me from childhood.
Family words that have stayed with me.
Sometimes these words have got blurred through the years.
There are words I want to term as family words.
There are also words I want to term as friendship words.
Sometimes the words in friendship can mean more to some people than family words because for some, their friends are also their family who they share their lives with.
There’s a four letter word, which is really important – just a four letter word – LOVE.
Carol Robson.
