VULNERABLE

Dialogue entre Sitar et flute

PANDEM ONEUM

Ours is an ancient fear
Fear of the unseen
Without visible danger
We cannot swerve to avoid collision

This thing moves fast
Travelling from distant lands
To these shores, to this door
Via complex routes of global traffic

We watched
At first, we thought
That’s bad that’s sad,
but that’s not us

Wet markets? Could be a spot of rain
Drops roll from umbrellas
But wet means dry and beasts, alive,
Writhe and twist to stretch a limb

Who knows, or cares, where it all began
A lab or a slab or a stab of pain
None of us are innocent of cruelty
Irresponsibility or bad practice

More players join this new game
Multiplying blame while
Finger jabs and hot-headed jibes
Infect and inflame our passions

Banners of truth are raised
False flags and spectral truths
Muddy the waters
And test our patience

Radio waves pulse from a deep blue State
Media streams flood with infotel
Social. Anti. Social. Warning
Distancing and detaching us

Bearing us away from the familiar
We are swept along by hidden currents
Dragging us out to fast-flowing uncertainty
Beyond common understanding

Fragments of clarity sensed during
Rare moments of calm
Bring hope of comprehension
But soon the pull and tug prevails

And once again we find ourselves
In open water
Exhausted by conflict
Struggling to maintain direction

We follow the science
But science is elusive
Or deliberately pushed away
As not being for us

In a sorry state, the State intervenes
We lockdown, but do not look or learn
From the success of others
And what remains is sketchy, hesitant, unsure

Doubt prevails
Collective and individual
We are protected, not by tangible things
But by MORE. BIG. WORDS.

Within four walls, channels are opened
New comms explored
Faces, familial and familiar
Flicker on screens

Crowding for space,
Signals transmit and fail to hold
Connecting
Disconnecting
Re-connecting

You’re breaking up again

We experience disassociation
Despite which we find ways to
Become close, closer
In a way than we were before

Shared surfaces
Become objects of suspicion
Handles, buttons
Rails and trolleys

New vectors of concern
Like a dry cough in a supermarket queue
In time, desperation and panic give way
To stoicism and suppressed frustration

We reach instead a strange impasse
Watching the days go by
Tracing outlines of yesterday’s patterns over
Today’s new shapes

Vehicles melt away from roads
Planes dissolve into clear blue skies
Nature flexes unchecked
We bear witness to this

On daily walks
Or runs or rides
(For exercise
It must be said)

England starts to grow its hair
Like in the summer of ’76
When Bicycles ruled the roads
And spokes whirred, flashing in the
Bright unerring sunlight

The streets, however, start to crumble
Unkempt verges, newly scruffy and, like us,
Febrile and confused
In silence, weeds grow through the cracks

Keep your distance!
We are easy to spot in public spaces
No hiding, no ball games
No waiting, no loitering

Waking from dreams of the dark web
Cyber warriors fire up keyboards
Which clatter with speculation
Rage and indignation

Conspiring voices talk sideways
Whispering in code
Wary and urgent
Keen to remain unheard and unobserved

No more conversations with strangers
Forbidden fruit, anti-social and frowned upon
After all, exchanging words may make us ill
Riding as they do on hot breaths of danger

Advisers put their faith
In formulae not always of their understanding
The people await guidance
But attentions drift and

Conclusions find their own scattered rocks
To cling on to

Mothers, fathers – how are you keeping?
This is not a war for the young
Generations may be depleted
But this enemy targets the fragile and infirm

Stand together
Sit tight
Be alert

Flatten the curve through inaction
Binge on box-sets
Let streaming mute the screams
Of a million claustrophobes

Friday feels like Sunday
Feels like Bank Holiday Monday
May Day May Day
We need a day out to the beach day

Meanwhile
A&E nurses and doctors wait for surges
Of the weekend wounded
That never materialise

There are, of course a few –
Bloodied and broken
Stumbling into the arms of many
A wealth of caring hands to help the healing

Still the wait goes on
Sharp numbers keep rising
Solutions struggle to gain traction
While self-appointed saviours extol the power
Of dubious remedy

Confused and fearful
Bereaved and in limbo
Mourners regret
Final moments that pass by unshared

Loneliness the cold companion
Of both the living and the dying
The healthy and unscathed thank
Lucky stars and unseen Gods

For, although for many these Gods remain unseen
And unknown
Still we place our faith
In the hope of a future

Where ancient fears can be dispelled
And escape routes found
To navigate ourselves away
From distrust and uncertainty,
Confinement and conformity

New Heroines and Heroes Fighting COVID-19

Picture: Kevin Reid (Scotland)

Music: Karin Blüml (Germany)

Poem: Steve Karn (England)

Video: Dean Pasch (Germany)

Karin writes about her music piece ‘Dialogue entre Sitar et flute’

The electric tambura, as a background drone sound instrument, represents the daily stream of undercurrent thoughts which flow through our minds, before we even recognize it. Undercurrent thoughts are always there, very often repetitive and also unnoticeable to most of us. The flute represents the Observer and realizes what is happening while it is happening.

Dean writes about his video and ‘mask wearers’ pictures

As Covid-19 started to impact daily life, a couple of ‘front-lines’ were of utmost importance: hospitals and food shops. Working in those places exposed you to immediate risk. An unseen danger became a significant part of life. Gradually, people began to wear masks without it having become a legal requirement (that eventually became necessary). As the risks and threat of the Coronavirus took on greater and greater meaning – our visual landscape changed. The wearing of masks took form and shape. Homemade ones, experimenting with fabric and pattern, the classic blue medical ones and there soon followed a ‘mask fashion accessories’ facet.

Regarding the first point (hospitals and food shops) – I am very grateful to all of the food shop workers, health-care workers, nurses, and doctors – for their massive support since the pandemic took hold. Their work had often been taken for granted and indeed, totally underestimated in terms of its significance. Coming across the statue in the video was a great reminder to myself to be grateful. To be very very grateful.

3 Comments

  1. Ingrid

    Exzellent description about life with Covid 19. The Virus has changed the world. Music is thoughtful and pictures are very impressive.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    Kontakt@ marina-ronstedt. De

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    Hi Karin,
    Danke für den beeindruckenden blog. Die verschiedenen Medien habt ihr zum Corona Thema super
    Zusammen gestellt: Musik, die Bilder und die lyrics spiegeln das Verhalten , das mind set und die Gefühle während der Pandemie sehr anschaulich wider! Tolle Zusammenarbeit- großer Respekt hat die Arbeit etwas mit deinem Studium zu tun oder ist das ein „ Nebenprodukt „?
    Herzliche Grüße aus dem Garten,
    Nina

    Reply

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