(Inspired by the wonderful Mona Eltahawy.)
They say they’re easing lockdown because we
“Need to get back to normal” As if this,
Was somehow a good thing, inherently.
As if “normal” is something we all miss.
But normal was police brutality
And normal was state and domestic violence
And normal was wage inequality
And normal was accepting that in silence.
Normal was all your benefits being cut
Normal was rent too high and wage too low.
Normal was when the libraries all shut.
Fuck normal. Normal has to fucking go.
The normal that we had before won’t do.
It’s broke. Don’t fix it. Let’s make something new.
Tom Juniper Poetry 