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Friday, 22 January 2021



Lockdown Lament 


A Sonnet for the Young 

When shall young lovers kiss again
Free from the dread their sweet embrace 
Will leave a trace of Covid on their lips? 
When will they know their mingled breath 
Does not contain the pathogens of pain, 
Rewarding passion with a kiss-of-death? 
What shall become of youthful needs 
To trace the sensual contours of desire 
With fingers unprotected from the feel 
Of flesh made toxic by the heat of fever’s touch? 
How much of love’s beginnings perish here 
Where adolescent dreams must be denied? 
No memories created of a love devoid of fear, 
No moments to recall when death draws near. 

Copyright: James Rainsford 2020



Here is a sonnet written for our times. It attempts to explore the tragedy for the young denied intimacy by the cruelty of  Covid 19.

7 comments:

  1. Beautifully composed. Yes, young humans are being deprived of many experiences.

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  2. I do wonder how the young single folks have coped with the pandemic. Though I do think many of them got around it by ignoring it completely!

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  3. Judiciously and cautiously, young lovers can still connect, though not as indiscriminately as before!

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  4. A wonderful sonnet for our time ..... i love the depth of this.

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  5. SO SAD and so true. The pandemic's toxic residue tinges everything, for the present and the future.

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  6. Indeed, in many ways the young has to carry the largest burden. I hope the day will come when they can fall in love again.

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If you wish your views and opinions to be published here, please be polite and respectful. I welcome feedback on my work and will try to respond if you take the trouble to post a comment. Thanks for visiting 'The Sanctum of Sanity.' Hope you enjoyed the experience, James.