What do you think?
Rate this book
A Lockdown Diary
When the Covid lockdown was imposed in 2020, Bob Ward, having had his boyhood shaped by WWII, foresaw that this would have profound effects upon community life. As an elderly man living in a rural town, there was little he could do, but he felt that this was a time to bear witness to the challenges, from the mundane to the heart-rending. By way of making a commitment to being open to whatever the experience might bring, he began to write short verses, often several on one day. He kept this up for ten weeks to create a mosaic about life under siege by an invisible force.
The outcome was not simply a collection of poems, but an historical record to be set alongside other accounts of a period in our country’s life which brought significant social change.
By publishing this book, the author seeks to honour all those who succumbed during the pandemic, and also those who accepted the risks of trying to save them.
The outcome was not simply a collection of poems, but an historical record to be set alongside other accounts of a period in our country’s life which brought significant social change.
By publishing this book, the author seeks to honour all those who succumbed during the pandemic, and also those who accepted the risks of trying to save them.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2025
About the author
Bob Ward
51 books7 followersA former editor-in-chief of The Huntsville Times, Bob Ward covered the von Braun rocket team as a reporter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 6, 2026
This is a remarkable collection of poems, just five lines each in the form of a Japanese tanka. It records events and observations of the first ten weeks in lockdown. The lockdown may have been grim but the author records thoughts, feelings and events in an interesting and sometimes witty way; nature also plays its part.
I was taken back to that time when contact with others was usually during the dog walk and from a distance. Speaking to our families online whilst desperately wanting to hug them. Children being home schooled while classrooms are empty. Then, of course, there is the fear and sadness whilst thinking, “Is it my turn next?”.
With Bob Ward, nature and the changes in the seasons are keenly observed. The brown rat skittering along the garden fence, adders coming out of hibernation; the amusing anecdote about the blackbird landing on Bob’s back as he bends to do the gardening.
This was an excellent project and a readable record of that awful time, but there is joy here too. For those not accustomed to reading poetry, this is an excellent place to start, with each short tanka dropping a pearl of beauty and wisdom.
I was taken back to that time when contact with others was usually during the dog walk and from a distance. Speaking to our families online whilst desperately wanting to hug them. Children being home schooled while classrooms are empty. Then, of course, there is the fear and sadness whilst thinking, “Is it my turn next?”.
With Bob Ward, nature and the changes in the seasons are keenly observed. The brown rat skittering along the garden fence, adders coming out of hibernation; the amusing anecdote about the blackbird landing on Bob’s back as he bends to do the gardening.
This was an excellent project and a readable record of that awful time, but there is joy here too. For those not accustomed to reading poetry, this is an excellent place to start, with each short tanka dropping a pearl of beauty and wisdom.
Displaying 1 of 1 review