26th March 2020
OUR LONDON TOWN a collection of words & images - Pippa Viles
READING TIME
OUR LONDON TOWN
TWO MINUTES AND SIXTY SECONDS
WRITTEN BY PIPPA VILES Deserted streets. Air to breathe. Quiet skies. The birds still fly, the birds fly free. Space all around us. The City breathes. Breathes a sigh of relief. The streets. Unburdened from footfall. Landmarks and history, Bathed in sunshine. Glimmer in peace. The soul. The soul of this place. It hibernates.
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1 of 5 Hibernates in anticipation. Waiting, holding its breath for us to return. Return to those streets – so empty. They wait. For the soul, the soul of this place. Our London Town, is brought to life by the hustle, the bustle, the movement: the chaos. London is missing its beating heart. Its lungs drawing vibrancy to its dormant monuments. Standing proud and resolute in the shadows of our fear. The stunning yet eerie landmarks have no further history to give, lest we return. The backdrop to our lives. To our streets, To our London Town.
So it waits.
So, it waits.
It waits patiently.
It waits patiently.
In anticipation.
In anticipation. Of its life-blood to return.
Of its life-blood to return.
life. it to To restore its heart. beating To reanimate
What is this place without the daily grind? Without vibrancy? Without joy?
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LONDONERS. We rise up in the face of tragedy. Our way of life – forever changed. Temporarily isolated, yet together we stand. LONDONERS. We will never give up. We will never give in. LONDONERS. We don’t go down without a fight. This invisible evil. We stand
(2 meters apart)
and unite.
We breathe.
Our city streets breathe. The ventilator of our society. LONDONERS… Corona? We'll have a lime wedge with that!
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The Thames. The lions… are they drinking? Is London sinking? The artery that flows through the heart of our city. Beats regulated by the moon, the weather, the boats, the people. We seek you for pleasure. For solace. For reflection. Lost in thought, in anticipation, of what awaits us on the turning of the tide.
Structures. Standing proud and alone. Stoic in their familiarity. Isolated in their form. We adapt. They wait. We strive on. For we know our city, our world, will recover and emerge renewed.
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We no longer pound the streets. Our future is in our hands. In our fingers, our thumbs – social, soap, seclusion. Rapidly pounding away on our phones. Frantically communicating with our loved ones. Our bubble. Our network. Our lifeline. Our sanity.
Our global community. We watch. We listen. We learn. We act. We protect. Unity in our distance. What new world awaits? Growth? Change? Normal. Normal?? What’s normal? We want more. We are the key to undo the lock - Down to the pub we’ll go. Out on the streets we’ll pour. Street parties. Embrace. Resuscitating society.
We are not alone.
So stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
For our city will wait for us And history will be written once again.
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