Charles Donelan: Stories of 2020
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Greetings friends, behold the function
Of rhyme and memory
A great conjunction.
The double two-oh has finally passed;
Its frightening aspects poised to last.
To summon a year that was like no other
Let’s lift a glass and unmute, my brother.
To Tatsuo Miyajima, whose “Counter Ground”
Made LED blinks something profound,
And to Jay Campbell, the fellow whose cello
Lent so much fire
Hail Roger Durling and Waterhouse, Claire!
Your film education has been more than fair.
Those crossing the border have no advocate smarter
Or more the patron than Jason De Leon.
Hats off to Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket
He sold out the Lobero before fate would lock it.
In the weeks that ensued, Covid dampened our mood.
Books of all lengths got read by the score
By authors Tania Israel, Chris Knowlton, and —who else? — Jill Lepore.
These erudite companions made quarantine the occasion
For a solitary pre-vaccine staycation.
The ban on live music that deprived us of notes
Still could not stop us from messing with boats.
Right as the arts world was learning to pivot
KCRW’s “Life Examined”reminded us: “live it!”
Adriana Arriaga, Wosene Kosrof
These were the artists whose work got us off
Of our sofas and back to the galleries
Even when Covid had subtracted our salaries.
Then the minds at Arts & Lectures
Alert to moods and dark conjectures
In a time defined by future hexers
Raised our eyes to the promise of justice to come
Regardless of where your parents are from.
As we wait for the moment when together we play
Let’s take a cue from the State Street Ballet
Let new talents blossom and videos shatter—
The distance between us?
It just doesn’t matter.
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