Writing by Hannah Burns. Illustration by Hazel Laing.
The buses were purposeless
Following their routes round the empty-once-full streets
Brainlessly
Pulling up to ghost stops.
The piston hiss of the doors
The soulless automaton voice announcing
But then the silence
The lack
The lack of steps
of thank yous, cheerses, nods,
clanking bumping into chairs, beeps, babies, heavy tesco bag grunts
It’s the lack that was just awful.
We’re emerging again now
I saw the number 30 today
I saw a family standing at the side of the road
get their feet splashed
and bend double, and with mouths pulled wide
Laugh.
Everything is re-busy
Re-busy, and the absence of lack is palpable!
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