Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Alli Westbrook] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see myself taken back to a breezy spring day years ago. Our backyard had not been mowed so the grass was as high as my shoulders. We lived in an Ohio valley surrounded by woods, farms, and fields. When I laid in the grass it folded down making a bed for me. It formed a perfect oval around me. I peeked up from my oval and saw my little sister. She started running away giggling. So I chased her, gently tugging her blonde hair while yelling about how fast she was to build her confidence. Now, the world feels like it is falling

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Lubhanshi Jain] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see what has already transpired, Kashmir, a migrant labour exodus, the shame blame game of religion, loved ones gone without proper goodbyes. I battle between different strains of anxiety each day. As a theatre artist I try to imagine what will it be for an already neglected art form? I think about my rakhi-brother in the Indian Army, posted in Kashmir, I hope he's still a human before he's an Indian these days. I wonder how many of our fellow humans have we, as a collective, violated in these months alone. And there are days where I get to choose my peace and

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Mahan Aslam] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see things that I'd planned turning into exactly opposite. The dreams for this year are on a halt. The exams that I had been working hard for aren’t even going to happen anytime soon. But, in this uproar, I learned something beautiful: “Things aren’t always going to work the way we want them to, but as they are planned.” “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation from Corona... and I see...” Not more than 100 words. With a horizontal-sized selfie, along with your city name...

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Aruvi] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see darkness swirl around me. The world feels dystopian, life fictional. In time, disjoint memories come floating by. The dappled early morning sunlight on the veranda in my parental home. The hot tea and biscuits that came with it. The punishing sun that shone down on us as we trudged through the kole wetlands looking for larks and pipits. The anticipation that made us forget the heat. Warm memories in golden hues envelope me. Light bursts through. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation from Corona...

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Vrinda Bhagat] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see myself in real conversations with real people - at a french cafe, a yoga class, a public library. I plan my next adventure trip thinking I will do it one day. I sift through books thinking I will read them all one day. I breathe deep thinking there will be no mask one day. One day, I will open my eyes and see that human intervention is the only normal. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation from Corona... and I see...” Not

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Niyatee Dwivedi] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see myself reconnecting with inner-self. After losing years to the wheel of corporate life, once again I try to discover my lost self in this chaos. The wave of loneliness and disconnect from social life brings in the internal turmoil to face a naked self. Finding, knowing, and accepting the inner-me is silver lining every day. As much as I wish for everyone to be physically healthy, I wish people to take care of their mental health. For this self-isolation can be used for meditating our way to reconnect with our inner-self. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Mitushi Pandey] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see bougainvilleas blooming in their glory under the teasing winter sun—existing exactly the same way I last saw them, months ago, on my favorite street. I see kind smiles and hearts untouched with hatred and erroneous truths. I'm calm, in this world unconsumed by the deadly virus, with a secret revolution brewing in my nerves. I see myself strolling around the city, humming golden tunes by Lata Ji and Rafi Sahab, somewhere in the embrace of deodars and Mynas. There's only love; no rage, no disappointment. Only peace spreading its wings and taking me to places within myself. I open my eyes and

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Srishti Singh] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see the turmoil within. The fear of not knowing what comes next and feel the aura of uncertainty hovering above the world. As soon as I make contact, I recoil. With a renewed sense of purpose, I turn back to my minuscule self in this vast universe and put everything into becoming a sliver of light. A beacon of positive vibes. A ray of hope for all shrouded within the darkness. With God(s) long forgotten only the power within can save us. I seek myself, my power, to heal. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Tejaswini Gadhave] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see myself reliving the sociable and busy life I had carved for myself in the last four years in Bombay, away from home. I see myself getting ready excitedly for late evening dates, wondering what to cook on weekends, running around buying groceries while also ending up shopping something else, constantly looking for good plays and theatre to catch-up in my free time and traveling back home to the warmth of my old city and family once in a month. I now close my eyes to feel the warmth of that old, free and outgoing life that seems so far away. “We the Isolationists”

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Tawfeeq Irshad Mir] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona and I see the colourful birds resting on the door panes emulated with surreal symphonies. The environ around summons me as if I haven't attended the court of ecology. I craved to live in a city, but this pandemic modified my thought pattern, at least I am able to visit orchards, feel fresh air, I am able to walk by the stream, I’m able to tread for an evening walk. In contrast, it wouldn’t have been possible while being in a town or city. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with