Adult Lockdown Written Word / Audio: Part One

During the height of lockdown, we asked you and your kids to get creative in photography, arts & crafts, videography and written word/audio, as part of our Forces Voices competition.

All written word/audio entries were judged by Amanda Prowse, a forces wife and International Bestselling author who has had twenty-four novels and six novellas published in dozens of languages around the world. 

Here are some of the adult entries and the stories behind them. Click here to view more lockdown creative masterpieces.

Anne Campbell: COVID-19

"I love writing poetry and I use it as a means to express my feelings and emotions and to also get a message across to people." 

"I wrote this poem during this pandemic to remind people that positive things can come out of this.

"Although we are in a frightening situation we must all try and focus on all the great things that we have in our life. In all my living history I have never seen the world consumed by such desolation and fear.

"This atrocity that is affecting the entire world brings me so much sadness.

"But out of sadness there is hope and with hope brings strength. COVID-19 has placed us into quarantine but when this is all over we will celebrate with all our loved ones and allow those to mourn and celebrate the lives of those that have died."

Here is an extract from the poem. To read more click here 

COVID-19

A poem written by Anne Campbell

This virus called COVID-19.

Has placed us all into quarantine.

This virus that has swept the land.

Installing fear through every strand.

It has taken lives of those we love.

The death toll rises up above.

Watching it everyday on our screen.

There is so much devastation that is still unseen.

Tasmin Paterson: Sacred Souls 

"With everything going on in the world right now, I took the time to really evaluate my life and my view of the world. I think many people can relate to this. "I love poetry and this piece I hope will not only resonate with people's own experience of this time in our lives but also show them poetry can make you feel so much in so few words."

Sacred Souls 

I love to walk down by the sea,

And let my spirit wander free.

To climb over rock and sandy dune,

And let my heart sing out in tune.

To the songs and the sounds of Mother Earth,

This glorious planet of our birth.

Blue celestial orb hung out in space,

Your God’s gift to all the human race.

So enjoy her, love her, tend to her needs,

As through life’s journeys, you speed.

Look deep within yourself for proof

Of who you are, respect the truth.

Twinkle of eye, a sigh, a nod,

You find yourself at one with God.

Pure spirit, love, light, joy and bliss,

What soul could ask for more than this?

Tom Murray: Captain Tom 

"This was a poem inspired by Captain Tom Moore, so I thought I would salute him in my own way."

Captain Tom by Tom Murray 

Ground control to Captain Tom, time to don your jacket and pin your medals on

Captain Tom to ground control its time for the final lap I've had my breakfast time to get it on

Ground control to Captain Tom the country is all behind you we all want to nominate you for a gong

Captain Tom to ground control I am humbled by the support, to a gong I might say yes but only if you give one to the NHS

Ground control to Captain Tom well it’s time to do the last of your laps, the route has been cleared by Recce troop there are no speed traps.

Stacey Heartford: The Pride 

"I wrote The Pride in April whilst ill and in isolation.

"Acutely aware of the impact of Covid-19 on my own children, and all the children across the Forces world, I wanted to write something to help them to accept their own fluctuating emotions, and more importantly bring them hope. 

"I decided to write a story about some Lion cubs, to whom anyone can relate, who are going through an experience much the same as all of us right now.

"The Pride has since been shared with all the Children at RAF Akrotiri Primary school who have been busily creating artwork to illustrate my words. 

"This has given them the opportunity to use their own imagination and create something wonderful and meaningful for themselves.  

"I would dearly love my words to reach children all over the forces world to help them cope and understand, celebrating their own brilliance and resilience during this difficult time."

Here is an extract from the poem. To read it in full please click here. 

The Pride by Stacey Heartford

Imari and Ayo have whiskers and paws,

A mother who hunts and a father who roars,

A mother who loves them, a father who’s King

Imari and Ayo have everything.

Imari and Ayo know how to run,

They know how to chase, they know how to have fun.

They know that their life is wild and carefree,

They know they’re happy as can be.

Sarah Mapplebeck: Lockdown 101

"I wanted to write something that represented the many different layers of complexity of both the Coronavirus itself and the emotions felt in relation to the lockdown but, at the same time, appeared simple and eye-catching, like the slogans used throughout the period." "I decided on the theme of;

"Stay home, Save lives

"And, I combined this with “control the virus” to write an acrostic poem in three sections, mirroring the “stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives” logo.

"I decided on the title “Lockdown 101” for the dual meaning of:

• The American slang for “showing the most basic knowledge of a subject”, because the poem gives a very brief overview of what the lockdown is and why it was necessary; and
• The nod to Room 101, from George Orwell’s 1984, which contained a person’s worst fear and was used by the government to control an individual’s freedom. In the case of the poem, this is reflected both by the fear of the virus itself but also the curbing of our freedoms by the government, which some saw as a conspiracy to control the population as much as the spread of the disease."

Lucy Beaty: 2020

2020 by Lucy Beaty 

To see things 2020 means to see things clear

Is this a signal from fate we missed in the fear

We have become so obsessed with perceived perfection

Be honest with yourself do you like your reflection

By which I mean your soul your spirit

Not the tight butt & firm skin that only lasts a minute

Is this what it took for us all to be kinder

Did we really need this much of a reminder

A diamond is just coal that did well under pressure

How have you coped? What did you measure?

Lets stop caring what people think

As things can be gone in a blink

Dance every dance & sing every song

We hope a vaccine wont be too long

Click here to view more lockdown creative masterpieces.