To make Love in pandemic times

by Bernardo Guerra Machado

The confinement hit Portugal around March 2020. Following the modernist tendencies of seeking to digitalize artistic expression, I thought of creating a blog named “Fazer Amor em tempos de pandemia” (To make Love in pandemic times). Together with its story, this piece represents as well an open call for all the readers who wish to join the project!

The rules are simple: to share whatever original work you have produced in isolation, which should be connected with Love. Obviously, it doesn’t need to be the romantic variant of the term. It can be the affection for the friends you miss; the nostalgia about a place you are not able to visit; the family you are looking forward to see again… and so on, and so forth. There was no problem with offer and demand, as the whole World is bursting with emotions to express; and lacking Human contact at the same time! Little by little, many interesting posts started popping in. So far, there were contributions in 5 different languages. Some were home-made, while others consisted in tales of travellers trapped in distant continents – as in the case of my dear friend Luca Di Eusanio, who wrote the following verses:

La imagen desoladora de la avenida sin vivir

es un silencioso golpe al corazón que recuerda

y nostálgico sueña con mosaicos cenicientos

de piernas danzantes y atrevidas bicicletas

Es la alegría del pasto alto

convencido que por fin

los gigantes dejarán que el intente alcanzar el cielo

..........................................................................................................

The desolate image of the lifeless avenue

is a silent strike on the heart which remembers

and nostalgically dreams with ash-like mosaics

having dancing legs and audacious bicycles

It is the joy of the high pasture

convinced that at least

the giants will let him try to reach the sky

Una Avenida (An Avenue)

© Luca Di Eusanio

Of course it all started within my close-friendship network; nonetheless, the situation got happily out of control – with anonymous participations and people who are completely unknown to me joining in! Among all these pixels, something was made more and more clear: that we are not made to be still! And, with its pros and cons: we simply need each other.

The Procastinator’s Nest

© Y

However, it is also true that we had, and have, a wonderful opportunity to explore the power of solitude. In fact, many of us may well consider this harsh year to be a great tutor, and managed to use its teachings to deeper know themselves. It was the case of Bárbara Guedes Capelas, another good friend of mine, who found a way to carve her journey of self-discovery into the wood.

Self on Wood

© Bárbara Guedes Capelas

Interestingly, it became quite common to hear that the countryside was the right place to be. There was an exodus from the city’s apartments to the piece of land closest to Nature each one could find. In my case, I had my grandparents’ farm to seek refuge. There, I spent a fantastic time cleaning the garden, collecting chicken eggs, planting potatoes and beans; and, of course, digging into the house’s old library! It was very hard for me to master the art of being mostly alone… but having done some progress with it, and finding a common passion for this lifestyle with Ana Luísa Delgado, we decided to create a letter for Solitude.

Vivências Entrelaçadas em Cânticos (Moments tied together by chants)

© Joana Peres

(...) que a Solidão tivesse boca, cordas vocais

como heras de um verde vibrante

e argumentos sólidos

para me abalar as crenças e convicções, (...)

ou simplesmente discutir cinema; (...)

enfim, que da Solidão partissem

duas pernas tal raízes,

encaixando numas ancas

ágeis como um moinho-de-água –

e que a Solidão soubesse dançar a Mazurka,

Tango, Flamenco...

e que para valsear aceitasse apenas Jacques Brel!

...............................................................................................................

(...) that Solitude had a mouth, vocal chords

like ivy with a vibrant green

and solid arguments

to shake my beliefs and convictions, (…)

or simply discuss cinema; (…)

that from Solitude sprouted

two legs alike roots,

which would fit into hips

agile as a water mill –

and that Solitude knew how to dance the Mazurka,

Tango, Flamenco…

and for the Valse she would only accept Jacques Brel!

© Bernardo Guerra Machado

An ironic paradox emerged: despite being the only thing we had to remain in touch, digital technologies were clearly not enough! Alone, they could not deeply satisfy us, by any means. All these algorithms, pixels, tons of information saying one thing and its opposite… they are not the whole story, they can’t contain Human Nature in all its diversity. There is something which can only be transmitted by eye glances, street shoves, bus drivers, lonely storytellers, and other similar little random aspects of our daily Lives. Our faith in the holy technology, our certainty of being in control of the situation, they were deeply shaken. As usual, I would say; it seems we are destined to have at least one big disappointment each century. Recently, when I moved to Greece, I had the childish hope that the whole thing would be over (I like to consider myself an undercover optimist)… Yet, having to face a second lockdown, I decided to turn back to the blog, gather more material, and try my luck making a book out of it! And here is my invitation for the readers to take part in the project!

Carta de Desamor (que nem por isso deixa de ser Amorosa) (Unlove letter [which is Lovely, still]) © Ana Luísa Delgado

Back then, I described the blog as an “International cooperative which dares to share original, romantic verses, music, drawings, paintings... breaking the metaphysical barriers of confinement”; and those of the digital realm, I now add. Finally, to end with a biblical citation: To digital technology what is from digital technology, to the book what belongs to the good old pages of a book!

You can find the blog through: https://covidiuspoeticus.blogspot.com/And participate by sending an e-mail to: covidiuspoeticus@gmail.com

I’ve set my lover in a half-empty glass,

Atop a corkscrew coaster - stained with wine,

He taps now and again, to see the hours pass,

Unfurling under the spring Sun’s dull shine.

Spring Wilt© Iulia Costache

Dignitas (Dignity)

© Eufemia Bonino

I dare not remove him from his place -

For he might perish and I, as well, from guilt.

Oh, but how I long for his thorny embrace!

Yet, let my spirit be the only thing to wilt.

When her bird tells me that at least you dream

And I go away just to find it

A step closer to you is one away from harm

speaking out of love and hate (to your arms) (…)

Speak Song© @UAIAPI