Poem: Lockdown

Books & Poetry

Bradley Serry from Melbourne reflects on an uppermost matter of our times in this week’s Poet’s Corner.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Print article

Lockdown

The world shrinks again
it closes in
forces beyond, beyond our control
limit our movements
focus my mind

my mind that freedom that cell
unbound by the lack of attachments
weighed down by the anxiety
the unknown
the options

I could write
I could read
I could learn Spanish
I could get sick
I could curl up

but time stretches out
a vast a forming expanse
normality on the other side
do I look forward or back,
in both directions a chasm?

Bradley Serry lives in Melbourne. Graduating from Monash University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law, he is a junior lawyer and has written for the Alternative Law Journal.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

Make a comment View comment guidelines

Jump to next article

Support local arts journalism

Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.

Donate Here

. You are free to republish the text and graphics contained in this article online and in print, on the condition that you follow our republishing guidelines.

You must attribute the author and note prominently that the article was originally published by InReview. You must also inlude a link to InReview. Please note that images are not generally included in this creative commons licence as in most cases we are not the copyright owner. However, if the image has an InReview photographer credit or is marked as “supplied”, you are free to republish it with the appropriate credits.

We recommend you set the canonical link of this content to https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2021/09/29/poem-lockdown/ to insure that your SEO is not penalised.

<h1>Poem: Lockdown</h1>

<p><p>Bradley Serry from Melbourne reflects on an uppermost matter of our times in this week’s <em>Poet’s Corner</em>.</p>
</p>
																		<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<h2><a href="#lockdown" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="lockdown"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>Lockdown</strong></h2>
<p>The world shrinks again<br />
it closes in<br />
forces beyond, beyond our control<br />
limit our movements<br />
focus my mind</p>
<p>my mind that freedom that cell<br />
unbound by the lack of attachments<br />
weighed down by the anxiety<br />
the unknown<br />
the options</p>
<p>I could write<br />
I could read<br />
I could learn Spanish<br />
I could get sick<br />
I could curl up</p>
<p>but time stretches out<br />
a vast a forming expanse<br />
normality on the other side<br />
do I look forward or back,<br />
in both directions a chasm?</p>
<p><strong><em>Bradley Serry</em></strong><em> lives in Melbourne. Graduating from Monash University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law, he is a junior lawyer and has written for the Alternative Law Journal.</em></p>
<h5><a href="#readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-submissions-should-be-in-the-body-of-the-email-not-as-attac" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-submissions-should-be-in-the-body-of-the-email-not-as-attac"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.</h5>
							<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://inreview.com.au" target=_blank  rel="canonical">InReview</a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2021/09/29/poem-lockdown/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
							<link href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2021/09/29/poem-lockdown/" rel="canonical">

<p><a href="https://inreview.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InReview</a> is an open access, non-profit arts and culture journalism project. Readers can <a href="https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2E9q0000008PVN/inreview-sa-20222023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support our work with a donation</a>. Subscribe to InReview’s free weekly newsletter <a href="https://inreview.com.au/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
							<img src="https://inreview.com.au/pixel2.png?cc_article=poem-lockdown" width="1" height="1">

Copied to Clipboard

Lockdown

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

Support local arts journalism

It's true blue, it's dinky-di - it's our history told in our lingo

Diary of a Book Addict: For the sake of the children

Poems: Sights of spring

A heart-woofing tale, designed and told by Gucci