An Ode to Lincoln's Inn Fields

​Lincoln’s Inn Fields
of Holborn and the WC2
how the class of 2021 will miss you
for the whole you represented,
the hole in time you filled,
and your tranquility amidst calamity.
Morning walks to the New Academic Building,
lunchtime frisbee, evening picnics,
late night pass-throughs from drinks in Covent Garden.
Humming in the Michaelmas term,
so many new arrivals, many others away at home;
silent in the Lent term,
lockdown quaking in its place;
buzzing over Easter, new hopes coming;
raucous in the summer,
a freedom of fun and anxiety in tandem.

December 2, 2020

​The tennis courts the same, the pitter patter
of a ball a small certainty in an uncertain time.
Deep breaths on the benches, one-on-one conversations
two metres apart.
New spring leaves, the yellow roses return,
Queen Elizabeth’s coronation tree sits on its throne,
yoga in the park with friends, we can hug again.
Boxers in the gazebo and signs of human strength,
graduates and their parents beaming and proud,
spread out commencements but dreams filled and lived.
Rain in autumn, rain in winter,
rain in spring, and rain in summer,
the pavement around the four quadrants
looks pebbled, stony, and ancient with thunderous downpours,
and yet modern and sleek in the drizzling rain,
a good adjoining counterpart to the new Marshall Building,
started and finished before the pandemic’s expiry date.

March 20, 2021

​Resting, sitting, dreaming,
wondering, connecting, and maybe crying,
healing through the seasons,
even when the previous wound was not yet a faded scar.
The air and trees and the breeze
kept us sane while LSE kept us safe.
Lucky in the end, we met friends,
saw a few professors’ faces,
fell in love with our campus,
loved and supported its people
even more.
The lawn of your inns became
ever more crowded,
as we waded out and
stepped our toes back in
to this world we can only hope to change
for the better –
 as you did to us through one another.

March 27, 2021

Pictured below are some of the memories & sights I will cherish most from this year. I am infinitely grateful to the friends and peers that made this year at the LSE special, joyful, and fun – despite the many hardships. Not pictured are many equally wonderful and inspiring friends that couldn't make it to London, as well as amazing professors, fellows, and admin. Let's take lots more photos at graduation!

Copyright © Sienna Nordquist 2021