Amanpour and Company

>> SO I TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EMOTIONAL RELIEF, WE REALLY ARE UNDERGOING POLITICAL STRESS, CLIMATE STRESS, PANDEMIC STRESS. TELL ME HOW YOU'RE FEELING ABOUT THIS MOMENT. AND WHAT LED YOU TO WRITE YOUR LATEST POEM, "THE WIND." >> YES, WELL, I WAS ASKED BY THE BBC TOINSPIRING. THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS WIND. WE'RE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE. AND I TRY NOT TO FOCUS ON IT TOO MUCH. I TRY TO THINK ABOUT -- I NEED TO STAY ABREAST OF THE NEWS BUT TRY NOT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME LISTENING TO IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET DEEPLY DISHEARTENED. I DO DO EXERCISE OUTSIDE AND I ABSOLUTELY -- I'VE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE WIND BECAUSE I FIND IT SO INVIGORATING AND SO REFRESHING. AND, YES, SO WHEN THEY ASKED ME TO WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE UPLIFTING, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF. AND IT'S NOT THE KIND OF THING I NORMALLY WRITE. I HAVE TO SAY. BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, I'M A VERY POLITICAL WRITER. >> YEAH. BERNADINE, COULD YOU READ US "THE WIND," PLEASE? >> I HAVE TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE CIRCULATION OF DEAD AIR INSIDE MY HOME. AWAY FROM THE ROLLING NEWS AND THE DESPAIR AND FEAR ALL AROUND. AND VENTURE OUT INTO THE WINDY WILD OF THE CONCRETE STREET. OUT PAST THE BRICK BUILDINGS INTO THE PARK, THE RIVERSIDE WALKS, THE COUNTRYSIDE. TO ENJOY THE WIND AS IT RUSHES ENERGETICALLY TOWARD ME. WAVES OF IT STROKING MY FACE OR LASHING AT IT. SO THAT MY SKIN COMES ALIVE AND I FEEL MYSELF TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF SOMETHING OLDER AND GREATER THAN MY OWN PREOCCUPATION. THE WIND IS A FREEDOM FIGHTER THAT WILL LIBERATE US FROM STUFFINESS AND INERTIA. IT WILL CLEANSE OUR MINDS OF THE CHAOS AND UNCERTAINTY AS WE WALK OR CYCLE, SAIL OR RUN, OR FEEL THE REVOLUTIONS OF THE WHEELS OF OUR WHEELCHAIRS. FEELING OUR BODY SHAPED BY ITS CHOREOGRAPHY WHIRLING AROUND US, AND ITS MUSIC HOWLING THROUGH THE BUSHES AND TREES. FADING AWAY AS IT DISSIPATES UP INTO THE SKIES. THERE IS A HEALING AND A JOY THAT TAKES PLACE. WHEN I AM OUTSIDE AND OPEN MYSELF UP TO THE TACTILE, YET INVISIBLE, MOVEMENT OF AIR. NOT RESISTING OR RESENTING THE FORCE OF IT, BUT ALLOWING IT TO REFRESH, ENERGIZE, INSPIRE, WHEREVER I FIND IT, WHEREVER IT ROAMS. THE WIND.