the shelly shore

As over some half-ruined wall, / Disjointed and about to fall, / Fresh woodbines climb and interlace, / And keep the loosened stones in place.

a touchingly pathetic plight

Wugang in Henan Province announced a citywide lockdown starting July 11, making it the latest Chinese city to enact strict mobility curbs amid the country’s ongoing Covid flareup. The city of about 300,000, home to Wuyang Iron & Steel Co., is requiring all residents to stay at home unless they’re getting tested for Covid, according to a local government statement Monday.