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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2021: Instinct
by Marika Keen
I wrote this sort of in sympathy with the wildness inherent in everybody, and the often seemingly primal motives behind the things we do (be they good, bad or neither). Lockdown/the pandemic in particular has brought out so much fear, loneliness and optimism, which remind me of our 'pack animal' instincts and the fact that we respond to threats in different ways - also the extent at which we can feel peace in the present moment.
Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2021: Instinct
we’re animals
we’re wild
we hide and hunt and fight for life
submit and commit and transmit from our deepest insides
claw cages open wide so that we might run raggedly free
cower in a corner close our eyes against our terror
nip and shove and nuzzle those we love
lash out when our soft centres are exposed
and when warmth is in our bones we roll over
and breathe slow
Poem recorded as part of Poetry Archive Now: Wordview 2021. Used by permission of author.
A special thank you to our WordView 2021 poets.
Chair of the Judging Panel, Imtiaz Dharker, says: "An idea that began as a response to the world shutting down has, joyfully, become a way to invite the whole world in. It has been exciting to see the entries come in from different countries, from marginalised voices, from people of all backgrounds who now know this space belongs to them. My fellow judges and I were struck by the immediacy of experience and commitment to language in the winning entries. It's also good to think that the rest of the entries will continue to be seen as an invaluable record of our times."
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