How #JoCoVirtual Cruise 2021 differs from previous JoCo cruises (a poem)
Channel: Angela Brett
Date: 2021-04-12

If you're not already attending this year's virtual JoCo Cruise, head on over to https://jococruise.com/virtualcruise/ and join in! We had a weekend chock full of shadow events (run by attendees) over Zoom, and we have concerts and check-ins from official entertainment every day. Check https://jocovirtualcruise2021.sched.com for the schedule. There's also a Discord for chatting with attendees.

I wrote this poem to open my 'shadow' poetry show over Zoom during the virtual JoCo Cruise. It didn't seem like it would make much sense out of that context, but Joey suggested making a video of it anyway, so I did.

I'm not sure if I can share my whole show yet; I have to clear some things up regarding permission.

Anyway, here are the words:

No constraints of a suitcase and carry-on bag
we didn’t take jets, but we still have the lag
It’s mostly at night by the way, here in Wien; 
I can’t share the sun, but I can share my screen
and I can have notes right in front of my eyes!
but I assure you I’ve totes got this all memorised.
We don’t have our name tags, but we still show our names
We don’t have a game room, but we’re still playing games.
We don’t have Sorrento’s, that bastion of light
for eating bad pizza late into the night
No port stops, no F-stops, no F’ing disembarkation
No taco bar, icecream, or omelette station
No hugs, drunk-or-boat, real-time jams, or warm bread,
just all of our pets and our own comfy bed
No room service, muster drill, beetloaf or braids
No cabins, but still cabin fever in spades
No free-to-play video gaming arcade
Just final day video fancy pants parade.
No need to split into red and gold teams;
Just bananadog split and Egype shared memes! (these are memes that came from the 'Sail Away! NOT': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtM2NvwNYlg)
And just like the real ship, it’s choose-your-own normal
Every day pyjama day? Every night formal?
It’s bring-your-own googly eyes, cut-your-own bangs
make your tiaras, towel animals, wang-wangs
While some have done shots of Moderna or Pfizer
The rest have their own vats of hand sanitiser
Some have the money they would have been spending
Some have the cruise they’d long dreamed of attending

The weirdest thing about this year though,
is that I finally did a poetry show!
Is that a good thing? Or bad? I don’t know.
But it’s already happened, so… wait for the video?

#JoCoVirtual