One of the first contributors is poet Katie Haigh
‘Pandemic. In Isolation
I’m scared,
I’m worried,
My anxieties peaked.
I know it’s for the best,
‘Keep Calm and Carry on’
I know some generations,
Have faced much worse.
It’s not like their sending us to war,
We only have to stay at home.
I’m chronically ill,
My mental health is at risk.
Breaking my routine,
So in chaos I have to live.
I’ve built a support network,
A routine that works for me.
Having rest when needed,
While still fulfilling social needs.
Social needs aren’t important right now,
I know that’s the truth.
But my mind is at war,
My nerves are on edge.
I want to be with my family and friends.
I desperately want to hold them tight.
I want to go to my writing groups,
Be a leader on Brownies nights.
I want my normality,
My everyday flow.
Yet I know it cannot be,
I have to stay at home.
Protecting vulnerable loved ones,
For them I worry everyday.
I know I am lucky.
At least I have family,
With whom I live.
I feel for those completely alone,
In isolation for months.
With no company,
Totally alone.
Only communication,
Through screen or phone.
The future is uncertain,
No one knows how long it’ll last.
We’ll have to try our best,
Get through the coming months.
I hope it ends soon,
Then we can go back to normal life.
But in the meantime,
Don’t panic and be kind.
By Katie Haigh
copyright@K.Haigh’
‘I bare my soul through my words. I'm dyslexic and have a chronic illness so writing for me is cathartic.’
Katie first started scribbling down her thoughts at the age of 12, as an escape from dyslexia, her eating disorder and from the normal teenage angst.
Her first publication came at the age of 16 in the International Library of Poetry Anthology, The Star Laden Sky, for which she got the Editor’s Choice Award. She has also been published in numerous Cartwheel Arts publications, in North West Focus, The Co-op Diamonds Coffee Table book and in the Touchstones Creative Writing Group monthly anthology.
Last year she published, Prejudice and Pride, poetry about Disability and Mental Illness.
Katie attends local writing groups Darnhill Scribblers, Langley Writers and Touchstones.
‘As a writer I am always trying to improve myself so I can connect better with my reader. I hope my words evoke emotion and empathy.’
Visit Katie’s Words in Dark Corners. Poetry Bloghttps://youtu.be/QgkBD4u7uyQ