Day 107 – Time of Coronavirus
Day 107.
Thursday 9 July 2020.
On we go.
Another Brunswick East dawn.
Near-full disc of waning moon; rising winter sun.
The dog shits in silence.
Morning rituals.
Yesterday’s coffee pot entrails consigned to history.
No travel allowed.
The house sleeps.
Fetch lead and jacket – reach for my Big Boots.
Dog raises her head.
Eye-smiles and laughs.
Morning people nod – make allowance at each footpath obstacle.
No visitors allowed.
Oval in slanting sun.
Kick the ball to space; imagine myself in black and white.
Dog turns a wide arc.
Our Pip chases a whippet.
The whippet much faster, more nimble, still plays along.
No visiting allowed.
Dogs shadow box.
Turn each other inside out, on light feet.
We head for home.
Ignore the bluster.
A rhythm of daily media conference announcements.
Tears on young cheeks.
We make it up.
Population-scale health measures argued by grinding axes.
Into isolation.
Into isolation.
For each other, for neighbours, for family, for friends.
Love for all others.
A day 107 backyard ukulele song. A duet, as it turned out, with Pip.
From Victoria. To and for all of us. ‘All you need is love.’
==
This is David’s fourth story motivated by COVID-19.
24 March 2020: Love in the Time of Coronavirus
13 May 2020: Book review: Albert Camus’ “The Plague”
26 June 2020: Equinox to Solstice and the Time of Coronavirus
Read more from E. Regnans HERE
About David Wilson
David Wilson is a writer, editor, flood forecaster and former school teacher. He writes under the name “E.regnans” at The Footy Almanac and has stories in several books. He is married and has two daughters and the four of them all live together with their dog, Pip. He finds playing the guitar a little tricky, but seems to have found a kindred instrument with the ukulele. Favourite tree: Eucalyptus regnans.
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Great stuff ER! I remember watching and hearing ‘All You Need is Love’ during the first world wide television hook up in 1967 and thinking what a revelation this was! Watching the Beatles perform live in London while I was sitting in front of the TV in Melbourne, incredible! All taken for granted these days. Take care.
Thanks Col. Day 108 brings a count of 288 new cases. Highest yet. Maybe “All you need is love” can sound glib or trite in these moments. But it does not to me.
With love as motivation, anything is possible.
With love as motivation, we take every available precaution.
We are together.
Our collective futures lie together.
So we act like we are together. Cheers all. Wash your hands.
Thanks Er. I really like “Eye-smiles” and “Oval in slanting sun.” I wish you and the other Melbourne residents well over the next few weeks.
Thanks ER, Traralgon feels a long way from Melbourne at the moment in so many ways. For what it’s worth, you did a much better cover of “All You Need is Love” than Noel Gallagher last year! Really enjoying your COVID pieces and finding them sobering at the same time.
David,
While the challenges of the present do give us pause, we have to believe “amor vincit omnia” to sustain our sanity. Otherwise we’re in danger of falling short of ou objective “nil lillegitimi carborundum”.
Like Shane, I feel relatively protected being comparatively remote from the epicentre, but so many of my connections are with Melbourne and Melburnians, that empathy requires little effort.
Stay safe, stay strong, be kind and play like Bobby Rose.
You are definitely a better musician than I Tall Man, although probably on a par in the whistling department……
We all need to love ourselves collectively and as a fair dinkum community.
Great piece,
FP
Frank
Thank you all.
Your reference to Bobby Rose strikes a chord, Peter, as I recently read Peter Rose’s magnificent memoir of family, hope, tragedy and duty: Rose Boys.
I found it an outstanding story.
Thanks again for commenting.
On we go.
As always, your words strike a chord ER. But how good is that magnificent Big V guernsey!
Stay safe mate, all the best to you and your family.
Thanks e.r.
Touching and enjoyable as always.