Connor Briggs
I love the way Connor Briggs, from Hastings Intermediate, plays with space in these poems, which reflect on the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, and on the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
– Jo Morris
Earthquake 1931
The ground shook like waves crashing d n onto a beach front
o w
The cries of children pierced my ears
Windows sh att e re d
Plates br oke n
The smell of jam was everywhere
r
e t
v h u i
A cow leaped o e r m l n hedge
b g
Lockdown
I am asleep
I can hear the T.V
“Covid has come, covid has come”
The first day of lockdown has begun
Online classes everyday
Sitting still with my computer at bay
Do this
Do that
But all I can hear is the whines of my cat
The empty streets
The masks of pain
Oh how I wish for my life to go back a day
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