"Between"
École au Pied-de-la-Montagne, Montréal (April 10, 2020), PHOTO CHRISTINE KERRIGAN
In shooting some photography of public spaces during the pandemic, I came across this fence in front of a vacant schoolyard, which looked like it had been attacked by a colour palette of Easter basket pastels. It felt ironic to see such a cheery looking fence symbolizing such a devastating time in history for so many.
It got me to thinking about how we are redefining space in our current reality and how a fence or barrier can both protect and divide simultaneously. Being a US citizen residing in Québec (Canada), I am especially aware of the way we’re redefining borders between countries, provinces, states, cities, and neighbourhoods. My hope is that we will use this experience as an opportunity to unite and connect rather than divide.
During this time, a lot of people are finding themselves in a state of “between” and this poem is dedicated to them. I hope these coming weeks and months will allow people to discover new light and colour in unexpected places.
Between
What does it mean to be between?
Between two meters
Between the lines
Between the cracks
And the confines.
Between your jobs
Between deliver orders
Between Zoom and Skype
And the virus transporters.
What does it mean to be between?
Between the posts
Between the corners
Between rival teams
And redefined borders.
Between anglais et français
Between red and blue
Between arcs of rainbow stripes
And people lined up in a queue.
What does it mean to be between?
Between East and West
Between you and me
Between black and white
And a world we've yet to see.
Between you and your Calvins
Between zippers and button fly
Between love and madness
And where Obsession lies.
What does it mean to be between?
Between the Universe and Earth
Between the moon and stars
Between humans and nature
And Corona and SARS.
Between religion and science
Between life and death
Between the past and present
And every last breath.
What does it mean to be between?
Between separates and divides
Between connects and unites
Between is our choice to define
And our destiny to write.
Between the coming days
Between morning and night
Between sunrise and sunset
And early dawn to twilight.
As light shines through gaps unforeseen
We define what it means to be between.