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In the time of coronavirus

A collection of stories submitted by the public on their experience of living through the time of the Coronavirus pandemic.
We are now safely through the first phase of response to coronavirus in New Zealand and people are reflecting on what this major and previously unimaginable global catastrophe has meant for us, as individuals, in the 21st century. Globally the losses and the scale of human suffering have been very great. This forum offers a space to reflect upon the experience and to consider questions such as: What are we learning from the pandemic? What might we need to remember and preserve? Through the alert levels our prime minister said repeatedly, ‘Stay safe, be kind.’ What was your experience, what did you observe, what mattered and how might we re-imagine a better direction going forward? If you would like to contribute to the re-collective effort please send me your reflections, observations, journal entries, stories to my contact page... just a page of A4 writing, with a title and a brief bio and they will be added to the repository of important writings flowering in this space.

The search for knowledge is.. an exercise in reminiscence, that is, an effort to recall and recollect that which we once knew.

Ahsivai Margalit quoted in Richard Horton, “The Ethics of Memory,” The Lancet, 6 June 2020

Rahui Bubble by Mary Elsmore-Neilson

19/1/2021

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​Mary’s dream, to live under a mountain and on an island, came true five-years ago, with her move to live under Old Koro, Turoa, on the western side of Maunga Ruapehu. Roaring fires after skiing and building snowmen, plus reading to the under-fives at the council/library rooms became a way of life, until, requested by Auckland grandchildren, she moved to live permanently on beautiful Motu Waiheke. Glimpses of cyanic skies and seas greet her daily as she conserves rainwater and makes compost. Surrounded by aroha amongst strong, creative, fun women, Mary has found her turangawaewae.


Our Onetangi gannet soars
drops down disappears in aquamarine
emerges silvery bounty clutched in beak
soars up free freedom of life.


A tern flashes twists streaks swiftly grabs the hapless tiddler
the gannet dives deep in pursuit retrieves his dinner
is joined by his bubble
aroha in nature's kikorangi.


They swoop, fly up over the car less road away
the driver slows his Mercedes
we wave as he angles his behemoth
belching fumes along the beach front.


No-one waits for the bus
now takeaways have gone
not a wrapper flaps
no lolling coffee to dispose.


Sand waves greet bare feet
I walk in the lengthening sunshine
a couple love each other prone embracing
the nearly cool light of bubble caresses.


A dog plays sits often when commanded
keen to please eyes fixed on alert
wagging tail free spirited
his shimmering family bubble fishes.


Dolphins visit, play with bubbles
our healing rahui bubble means they their family
are free free of man's machines
free of man's pollution.


Bubbles float, ancient Sumerians first to make soap
named bubbles gakkkul heart
maybe to celebrate secular waters
happiness or a beer.


Japanese make music from a single bubble
dropped into water we toast
champagne bubbles rise in our glass
drag the liquid to the top continually refreshing.


Women, men, children, their families
secure safe kereru piwakawaka tui kaka
in our bubbled quiet zone
spot Ted the Bear.
​

Our bubbles float embrace
a master stroke no matriarchal stroke
to tickle our fancy all ages to play the game
to save lives to keep us safe until... 

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Writing Memoir
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Copyright © 2017 Deborah Shepard
  • Home
  • Books
    • The Writing Life >
      • Reviews & Interviews
    • Giving Yourself to Life
    • Her Life's Work
    • Translucence
    • Between The Lives
    • Reframing Women
    • Tributes
    • Personal Writings >
      • Lockdown Journal
      • Travel Journal
      • Elegy for a friend
      • Christchurch - Post Quakes
      • On a residency
      • Deborah’s Love Letter to the Women’s Bookshop
      • Deborah's Q & A With Unity Books
  • Writing Memoir
    • Defining Memoir
    • The Participatory Model
    • Tips on Writing and Posting a Story
    • The Value of a Writing Class
    • From writing course to book publication
    • Your Writing Space
    • Writing on a Theme >
      • Window
      • Surviving a Crisis
    • Reviews of Memoir
  • Writers' stories
    • Covid-19 Stories
    • Writing Guidelines
  • Events
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • Media
  • What People Say
  • Contact